Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Association between leisure-time aerobic physical activity and vitamin D concentrations among US older adults: the NHANES 2007–2012

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Although previous studies have described a positive correlation between physical activity and 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations (25(OH)D), there have been inconsistent results in regard to the frequency or intensity of physical activity needed to achieve adequate 25(OH)D status.

Aims

To examine the relationship between self-reported leisure-time physical activity and 25(OH)D3 and 25(OHD) concentrations among US adults aged 60 years and older.

Methods

The present analysis was based on data from participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2012. Moderate or vigorous leisure-time physical activity was calculated by min/week or metabolic equivalent task scores-minutes/week and defined according to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. General linear models adjusted for confounders were created to compare mean 25(OH)D and 25(OH)3 concentrations across physical activity status.

Results

A total of 4764 adults with a mean age of 69.7 years comprised the study sample. Overall, 33.3% men and 23.1% women were defined as physically active and participants’ mean 25(OH)D and 25(OH)D3 concentration was 75.0 and 68.8 nmol/L, respectively. Older adults physically active had 8.1 and 7.1 nmol/L higher 25(OH)D and 25(OH)3 levels than those physically inactive, respectively. Moreover, higher 25(OH)D3 and 25(OH)D concentrations were consistently seen during the summer and autumn months. In contrast, sedentary older adults had on average 25(OH)D levels < 75 nmol/L irrespective of the 6-month study period examined.

Conclusions

Leisure-time physical activity appears to be an effective manner of maintaining adequate vitamin D concentrations later in life. Therefore, promoting physical activity in older adults should be a national public health priority.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Holick MF (2007) Vitamin D deficiency. N Engl J Med 357:266–281

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Mosekilde L (2005) Vitamin D and the elderly. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 62:265–281

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. MacLaughlin J, Holick MF (1985) Aging decreases the capacity of human skin to produce vitamin D3. J Clin Investig 76:1536–1538

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Scragg R, Holdaway I, Jackson R et al (1992) Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and its relation to physical activity and other heart disease risk factors in the general population. Ann Epidemiol 2:697–703

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Jungert A, Neuhäuser-Berthold M (2015) Sex-specific determinants of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations in an elderly German cohort: a cross-sectional study. Nutr Metab (Lond) 12:2. https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-12-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Holick MF (2004) Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr 80:1678S–1688S

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Brock K, Cant R, Clemson L et al (2007) Effects of diet and exercise on plasma vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in Vietnamese immigrant elderly in Sydney, Australia. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 103:786–792

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Kluczynski MA, Lamonte MJ, Mares JA et al (2011) Duration of physical activity and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status of postmenopausal women. Ann Epidemiol 21:440–449

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Van Dam RM, Snijder MB, Dekker JM et al (2007) Potentially modifiable determinants of vitamin D status in an older population in the Netherlands: the Hoorn Study. Am J Clin Nutr 85:755–761

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. van den Heuvel EG, van Schoor N, de Jongh RT et al (2013) Cross-sectional study on different characteristics of physical activity as determinants of vitamin D status; inadequate in half of the population. Eur J Clin Nutr 67:360–365

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Scragg R, Camargo CA Jr (2008) Frequency of leisure-time physical activity and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in the US population: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am J Epidemiol 168:577–586

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. De Rui M, Toffanello ED, Veronese N et al (2014) Vitamin D deficiency and leisure time activities in the elderly: are all pastimes the same? PLoS One 9:e94805. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008) Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. ODPHP publication no. U0036. 2008:1–61. http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/. Accessed May 2018

  14. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr01_056.pdf. Accessed May 2018

  15. Zhao G, Li C, Ford ES et al (2014) Leisure-time aerobic physical activity, muscle-strengthening activity and mortality risks among US adults: the NHANES linked mortality study. Br J Sports Med 48:244–249

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Yang L, Toriola AT (2017) Leisure-time physical activity and circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in cancer survivors: a cross-sectional analysis using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. BMJ Open 7:e016064. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016064

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/Nchs/Nhanes/2007-2008/DS1IDS_E.htm. Accessed August 2018

  18. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/vitamind/analyticalnote.aspx?h=/Nchs/Nhanes/2007-2008/VID_E.htm&t=VID_E%20Doc. Accessed April 2018

  19. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/tutorials/NHANES/SurveyDesign/Weighting/intro.htm. Accessed May 2018

  20. Macdonald H, Mavroeidi A, Fraser W et al (2011) Sunlight and dietary contributions to the seasonal vitamin D status of cohorts of healthy postmenopausal women living at northerly latitudes: a major cause for concern? Osteoporos Int 22:2461–2472

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Jungert A, Neuhäuser-Berthold M (2013) Dietary vitamin D intake is not associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 or parathyroid hormone in elderly subjects, whereas the calcium-to-phosphate ratio affects parathyroid hormone. Nutr Res 33:661–667

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Wanner M, Richard A, Martin B et al (2015) Associations between objective and self-reported physical activity and vitamin D serum levels in the US population. Cancer Causes Control 26:881–891

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Bell NH, Godsen RN, Henry DP et al (1988) The effects of muscle-building exercise on vitamin D and mineral metabolism. J Bone Miner Res 3:369–373

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Yeh JK, Aloia JF, Yasumura S (1989) Effect of physical activity on calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the rat. Am J Physiol 256:E1–E6

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Klenk J, Rapp K, Denkinger M et al (2015) Objectively measured physical activity and vitamin D status in older people from Germany. J Epidemiol Community Health 69:388–392

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Palaniswamy S, Hyppönen E, Williams DM et al (2017) Potential determinants of vitamin D in Finnish adults: a cross-sectional study from the Northern Finland birth cohort 1966. BMJ Open 7:e013161

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Jacques PF, Felson DT, Tucker KL et al (1997) Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and its determinants in an elderly population sample. Am J Clin Nutr 66:929–936

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Reid IR, Gallagher DJ, Bosworth J (1986) Prophylaxis against vitamin D deficiency in the elderly by regular sunlight exposure. Age Ageing 15:35–40

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Vitezova A, Muka T, Zillikens MC et al (2017) Vitamin D and body composition in the elderly. Clin Nutr 36:585–592

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Clemens TL, Adams JS, Henderson SL et al (1982) Increased skin pigment reduces the capacity of skin to synthesise vitamin D3. Lancet 1:74–76

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. QuickStats (2016) Percentage of adults aged ≥ 65 years meeting 2008 federal guidelines for leisure-time aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, by age and type of activity—United States, 2000–2002 and 2013–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 65:1019

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Laredo Medical Center, 1700 East Saunders, Laredo, TX, 78041, USA

    Carlos H. Orces

Authors
  1. Carlos H. Orces
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlos H. Orces.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author reports no conflict of interest while conducting the present study.

Statement of human and animal rights

The National Center for Health Statistics Research Ethics Review Board approved the study protocol (protocol # 2005-06 and # 2011-17).

Informed consent

During the informed consent process, survey participants were assured that data collected will not be disclosed or released to others without the consent of the individual in accordance with section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.242m).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Orces, C.H. Association between leisure-time aerobic physical activity and vitamin D concentrations among US older adults: the NHANES 2007–2012. Aging Clin Exp Res 31, 685–693 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-1031-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-1031-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation