How Vitamin D is connected with Muscle Strength

Recently, it was discovered that there’s a strong connection between vitamin D and muscle strength.  A review of studies involving 310 adults both athletic and non-athletic, found that vitamin D supplementation (dosage range between 14,000 to 60,000 International Units (IU) per week) significantly increased their muscle strength.

Another major of review of over 700 articles published between 1980 and 2010, found that older adults who used a vitamin D supplement of at least 800 International Units (IU) per day experienced an improvement in their balance and muscle strength, which helps reduce the risk of falling - a major injury factor for the elderly population.

It’s well known that the best way to gain muscle strength is by performing weight bearing exercises.  But these studies indicate that adding a high quality vitamin D supplement into your daily routine, can help boost your ability to gain muscle strength.

Other Health Implications of Vitamin D Supplementation

In addition to boosting muscle strength, vitamin D has been linked with improving bone health, cardiovascular health, osteoporosis, and even reducing cancer risks.

Regardless of your age, it’s a good idea to use a vitamin D supplement as a preventive step to maintain good health and avoid specific health problems in the future.  This daily habit is especially important for older adults who want to maintain muscle strength and balance.

Lifestyle Changes to Boost Vitamin D Levels

Now unlike other vitamins, vitamin D is very unique in that you can actually get vitamin D from the sun.  In fact, sun exposure is the most effective way to obtain vitamin D.  The only drawback is that too much sun exposure can result in skin cancer.

Interestingly, vitamin D deficiency is one of the factors that can increase your susceptibility to skin cancer.  So the trick is to find that perfect balance between getting enough sun to produce adequate levels of vitamin D to protect your health, while avoiding too much sun exposure which can lead to skin cancer.

Fortunately if you’re fair skinned, you only need to spend about 15 minutes a day in direct sunlight for your body to produce enough vitamin D.  However, if you have darker skin complexion, you’ll need to spend more time out in the sun in order to produce sufficient levels of vitamin D.

Btw, if you’re worried about getting too much vitamin D from the sun, don’t worry.  Your body has a built in barometer that tells your body to stop vitamin D production once it reaches an optimum level, so you never have to worry about getting too much vitamin D.

Now, if you’re worried about getting too much sun exposure for your skin, you can always take a vitamin D supplement.  Just make sure that you do your research and choose a high quality vitamin supplement product.

You can also get some vitamin D from foods like grass-fed dairy products and cold-water fish (ie. salmon) as well.  That being said, if you’re deficient in vitamin D already, you won’t be able to make up the deficiency from food alone… so sun exposure and/or supplements is necessary.  Keep in mind that the dosage of vitamin D varies with each individual, so if you’re thinking about supplementing with vitamin D, make sure that you talk to your doctor to get the right amount for you.