Vitamin D Might Support Normal Physical Function in Seniors

Over the last several years, research has shown that vitamin D appears to play an important role in many aspects of human health, including the maintenance of normal muscle health.  However, little research has looked at the role of vitamin D on physical function in older individuals.

A new vitamin D research study examined the potential association between vitamin D blood levels and leg function in nearly 3,000 individuals with an average age of 75 years.  For this study, researchers measured blood levels of vitamin D in the study volunteers and then asked them to perform a short battery of physical tasks, including walking 400 meters and knee strength tests.  The study investigators reported that:

• Volunteers with vitamin D blood levels greater than 75 nmol/L had higher overall physical performance scores compared to volunteers with low vitamin D levels (less than 50 nmol/L).
• Individuals with high vitamin D blood levels were able to walk at a faster speed than subjects with low vitamin D levels.
• Knee strength was not different between individuals with low or high vitamin D levels.

This is interesting research that adds to the growing body of evidence around the importance of vitamin D for normal human health.  This new research suggests that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels might help support normal muscle health as we get older.  However, it is important to remember that this study only looked at associations and was not able to determine cause and effect.  Therefore, it is possible that the better physical performance in individuals with higher vitamin D levels could be due to other things.  Nonetheless, insufficient levels of vitamin D can lead to a variety of chronic conditions, so it is important to make sure you get enough vitamin D each day.

While you can generally get all the vitamin D you need by spending time in the sun, you can also get vitamin D in the diet.  My milk protein bars and milk protein shakes provide 25 - 35% of most people's daily needs, making them a delicious and easy way to boost your vitamin D levels.