OBJECTIVES:
One of the important
risk factors of
falling is decreased
muscle mass and
muscle strength. Recently, there has been an increasing concern on the
role of
vitamin D in
muscle strength and
physical activity. Aim of our study is to examine the relationships between
vitamin D status and
muscle mass and
muscle strength in middle-
aged healthy
adults.
METHODS:
Subjects were 40
healthy volunteers aged 42.0 ± 10.6 years old. Evaluation was made for
serum vitamin D₃ metabolites including 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ [25(OH)D₃] and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ [24,25(OH)₂D₃] concentrations,
lower limb muscle strength, and
dietary intake by
food frequency
questionnaire.
Body composition was measured by
dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and appendicular skeletal mass index (ASMI) was calculated as
skeletal muscle mass/squared height.
RESULTS:
70% of the subjects had
vitamin D insufficiency/
deficiency (
serum total 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL), and
female subjects had significantly lower
serum total 25(OH)D level compared with
males.
Vitamin D insufficiency/
deficiency group had significantly higher
body fat, lower SMI and
muscle strength, probably reflecting higher percentage of
female subjects.
Serum vitamin D₃ metabolites levels were significantly correlated with whole and site-specific ASMI, and
lower limb muscle strength, except for the correlation between
serum 24,25(OH)₂D₃ concentration and
lower limb muscle strength. In addition,
serum 25(OH)D₃ level was a positive significant predictor for both ASMI and
lower limb muscle strength, while
serum 24,25(OH)₂D₃ level was not their significant predictor.
CONCLUSIONS:
Serum 25(OH)D₃ level was significantly correlated with both
skeletal muscle mass and
lower limb muscle strength.