Vitamin D3 supplementation helps women build muscle even after menopause

Too much vitamin D is toxic. Pay attention to what your body tells you.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/tnam-vds091715.php

Public Release: 30-Sep-2015
Vitamin D3 supplementation helps women build muscle even after menopause
New study demonstrates vitamin effectiveness in reducing degeneration and risk of falls
The North American Menopause Society (NAMS)

The benefits of vitamin D supplementation for postmenopausal women have been widely debated. But a new study from Sao Paulo, Brazil, now documents that vitamin D supplementation can significantly increase muscle strength and reduce the loss of body muscle mass in women as late as 12+ years after menopause.

•••••

Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem in postmenopausal women worldwide, creating muscle weakness and a greater tendency for falling. The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted over a nine-month period. Muscle mass was estimated by total-body DXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), as well as by handgrip strength and through a chair-rising test.

At the end of the trial, the women receiving the supplements demonstrated a significant increase (+25.3%) in muscle strength, while those receiving the placebo actually lost an average of 6.8% of muscle mass. Women not receiving Vitamin D supplements were also nearly two times as likely to fall.

•••••