Already acclaimed for its potential mental health benefits, new research suggests that vitamin D supplementation may also improve muscle strength.
A new meta-analysis of studies on the effects of vitamin D on muscle strength published in May concluded that vitamin D3 supplementation can increase muscle strength in healthy adults.
The researchers aimed to find out whether vitamin D3 supplements could increase both lower and upper body strength in athletes by:
- Systematic review and meta-analysisThe study analyzed several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have previously investigated this topic.
- Data collectionThe researchers scraped data from various databases to find relevant studies, including those that compared the effects of vitamin D3 supplements with a placebo or no supplements in athletes.
From the study results, the researchers concluded that vitamin D3 supplementation at doses that reduced participants’ deficiencies was sufficient to lead to trends of overall strength gains, including improved bench press strength and statistically significant increases in quadriceps strength.
Numerous research papers have documented the link between vitamin D deficiency and muscle weakness and fatigue. A 2020 survey found that approximately 40% of Europeans are vitamin D deficient, with 13% classified as severely deficient. Preventing deficiency seems like a logical step for anyone interested in maintaining their health and optimizing their strength and fitness.
How much Vitamin D do you need daily?
The NHS recommends that adults get around 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day, and says on its website: “From around late March/early April until the end of September, most people should be able to produce all the vitamin D they need from sunlight that hits their skin.”
However, during the winter or if you don’t spend enough time outdoors, you may need to supplement with your diet or supplements. Foods that contain vitamin D include:
While we should always strive to achieve the RDA of vitamins and minerals from natural whole food sources, Vitamin D3 is a relatively cheap and safe supplement that, taken daily in the form of a tablet, capsule or as part of a multivitamin, can help ensure that a deficiency doesn’t affect your workouts at the gym.
With almost 18 years of experience in the health and fitness field as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breathing coach and writer, Andrew has spent almost half his life exploring ways to help people improve their mind and body.
As Fitness Editor, he takes pride in keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable, and trustworthy fitness information by writing about and testing thousands of workouts each year, diving deep into the science of muscle building and fat loss, and exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.
Constantly updating his knowledge through seminars and courses, Andrew is as much a fan of practice as he is of theory, and regularly puts his training to the test by doing everything from CrossFit and Strongman competitions to ultramarathons, multiple 24-hour training sessions and even a (completely unofficial) world record attempt.
You can find Andrew on Instagram @theandrew.tracey, or you can simply hold up a “free pizza” sign and wait for him to show up.
