Vitamin D boosts muscle performance in girls
February 5th, 2009 - 6:23 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Feb 5 (IANS) Teenaged girls with higher levels of key nutrient Vitamin D may be able to jump higher and faster than their peers with lower levels, a study has shown.Not only does vitamin D work with calcium to keep the bones strong, but researchers now have found that teenage girls with higher vitamin D levels are more likely to have improved muscle performance.
Researchers in Britain collected vitamin D levels for 99 girls, aged 12-14. To test muscle functions, the girls were instructed to jump as high as possible while researchers used a device called jumping mechanography designed to measure power and performance.
After controlling for differences in the girls’ body weight, the girls with the highest vitamin D levels had the highest jump speed, jump height, power and force.
This potential muscle advantage adds to the growing list of evidence positioning vitamin D as a super nutrient. Well known for its role in keeping bones strong, vitamin D is now being hailed for much more.
The results were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Emerging science suggests that vitamin D may also help protect against diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases and certain cancers.
It may also support a healthy immune system to ward off infections, and preliminary evidence suggests it may affect longevity, said the journal’s release.
- Proteins protect bones during weight loss dieting - Dec 01, 2011
- Dietary calcium, supplements better than prescription bone-building meds - May 03, 2011
- Oral steroids bring on vitamin D deficiency - Sep 30, 2011
- Weight loss increases Vitamin D in obese women - May 26, 2011
- Vitamin D responsible for difference in blood pressure between 'Blacks' and - Apr 27, 2011
- Calcium supplements cause heart problems in women? - Apr 24, 2011
- Vitamin D gives teen girls muscle power a boost - Feb 04, 2009
- Try dietary calcium, Vitamin D for bone building - May 03, 2011
- Low vitamin D levels 'up respiratory infections in newborns' - Dec 27, 2010
- Drinking milk can help you lose weight - Sep 16, 2010
- Milk - top source of vitamin D for Americans - Apr 28, 2010
- Majority of obese teens are vitamin D deficient - Apr 28, 2011
- High vitamin-D bread could help solve insufficiency problem - Feb 24, 2011
- Calcium supplements 'ups heart attack risk in older women' - Apr 20, 2011
- Vitamin D deficiency may cause infertility - Feb 03, 2012
Tags: calcium, cancers, emerging science, endocrinology and metabolism, girls body, healthy immune system, heart diseases, hypertension, journal of clinical endocrinology, journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, jump height, london feb, longevity, muscle functions, muscle performance, peers, speed jump, teenage girls, teenaged girls, vitamin d
