To have good muscle health, have good levels of vitamin D

The Vitamin D is an essential micronutrient, optimal levels of this vitamin directly linked to the maintenance of our bodies and many essential functions in our body, still being vital for our bones and recommended during pregnancy .

If we talk about our muscles , vitamin D will have a key role, much greater than we think.

Parameters that influence the efficacy of vitamin D

The efficacy of vitamin D supplementation depends on several parameters , all of which should be considered in interventional protocols and when interpreting results. These parameters are:

• The characteristics of the subjects (sex, age, style and quality of life, genetic polymorphisms, ethnicity).
• The basal state of vitamin D.
• The period of treatment with vitamin D.
• The form of vitamin D (type of intake).
• The dose of vitamin D used.

Therefore, it is first necessary to consider that a vitamin D treatment plan to improve muscle health will be more effective if it is individualized .

Vitamin D decreases with age

Vitamin D values ​​decrease with increasing age and vitamin D deficiency is common among the elderly .

Concomitantly with aging, physical function decreases, particularly muscle function , progressively leading to sarcopenia (degenerative loss of muscle mass and strength due to aging or sedentary lifestyle), and several studies have shown a link between vitamin D and these symptoms .

One of the strongest arguments linking vitamin D with muscle metabolism and function is the presence of the vitamin D receptor in this tissue, whose expression decreases as we get older.

Why vitamin D is vital to our muscles

The value of vitamin D in muscle health has been widely studied, demonstrating in recent reviews its participation in skeletal muscle function .

Supplementation with vitamin D improves muscle quality and morphology of the fiber type , which indicates a directed action of vitamin D on the remodeling of skeletal muscle.

In addition, several studies have established that supplementation with vitamin D in healthy athletes , but deficient in this vitamin, improves muscle strength .

Vitamin D activates protein synthesis

The effect of vitamin D treatment on conditions of stimulation of protein anabolism has been studied , evaluating the activation state of the mTOR signaling pathway (metabolic pathway that the body uses for muscle anabolism and protein synthesis) and measuring the rate of protein synthesis .

The conclusion is that vitamin D activates the synthesis of proteins mainly by amplifying the action of the stimulating factors of the mTOR signaling pathway.

Vitamin D regulates mitochondrial function

It has been shown that vitamin D increases mitochondrial oxygen consumptionand appears to improve mitochondrial biogenesis in human skeletal muscle cells.

In general, it has been revealed that vitamin D can regulate the mitochondrial function , dynamics and function of the enzyme in human skeletal muscle cells, which probably influence muscle strength.

Therefore, studies clearly show that vitamin D modulates muscle proliferation and differentiation , as well as the metabolism of muscle cells.

In turn, it has been shown that vitamin D can improve muscle performance and balance and reduce the risk of falls in older adults .

Maintain good levels of vitamin D if you want optimal muscle function

Now there is clear evidence that vitamin D is essential for muscle health . Therefore, vitamin D supplementation has been considered to improve muscle strength and function in populations where muscles are immobilized, or where skeletal muscle strength and function are reduced.

However, other studies specifically designed to clarify the importance of vitamin D in muscle health and to delimit the opportunities for vitamin D treatment with respect to the characteristics of the study participants are necessary .

This knowledge has important implications not only for elderly or athletes, but also in all situations of muscle loss and function , particularly in the context of chronic disease .

Summarizing:

• Vitamin D deficiencies are associated with the reduction of muscle mass and strength .
• Vitamin D modulates the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle.
• Vitamin D influences the metabolism of skeletal muscle cells, (anabolism).
• There is a genetic contribution of vitamin D to muscle function .