Abstract
Purpose
Vitamin D (Vit-D) supplementation has been shown to increased muscle strength in young adults. It remains unclear if Vit-D supplementation enhances the efficacy of resistance training (RT). This study tested the hypothesis that Vit-D supplementation would enhance the RT-induced increases in muscle strength and lean body mass (LBM) in Vit-D deficient young men.
Methods
Thirty-nine men (baseline serum 25(OH)D < 50 nmol L‒1) were quasi-randomly assigned to one of the two groups that performed a 12-week supervised RT program concomitant with either Vit-D (8000 IU daily; VD) or placebo (PLC) supplementation.
Results
During 12-week RT, energy and nutrient (except Vit-D) intake and training loads did not differ in the two groups. Serum 25(OH)D levels increased from 36.3 ± 9.2 to 142.4 ± 21.9 nmol L‒1 (P < 0.05) in VD group and remained unchanged between 36.3 ± 8.9 and 29.4 ± 6.6 nmol L‒1 (P > 0.05) in PLC group. Muscle strength (1-repetition maximum) increased (P < 0.05) to an equal extent in the two groups in 5 exercises performed on RT equipment, whereas strength gains in chest press and seated row were greater (P < 0.05) in PLC compared to VD group. Total and regional LBM (measured by DXA scan) increased (P < 0.05) equally in the two groups. Android fat mass decreased (P < 0.05) in VD group only.
Conclusion
Vit-D supplementation does not enhance the efficacy of RT in terms of muscle strength and LBM gains in Vit-D deficient young healthy men.
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Abbreviations
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- BM:
-
Body mass
- BMI:
-
Body mass index
- CK:
-
Creatine kinase
- GH:
-
Growth hormone
- IGF-1:
-
Insulin-like growth factor-1
- LBM:
-
Lean body mass
- PLC:
-
Placebo group
- PTH:
-
Parathormone
- 1RM:
-
1-Repetition maximum
- 5RM:
-
5-Repetition maximum
- RT:
-
Resistance training
- VD:
-
Vitamin D group
- VDR:
-
Vitamin D receptor
- Vit-D:
-
Vitamin D
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The study was supported by institutional research fundings IUT 20-58 and PRG 435 of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research. The authors thank the participants for their time and cooperation.
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LS, MM, EU, and VÖ conceived and designed research. LS, ST, MM, EM, LT, FR, and ML performed experiments. LS, ST, MM, and LM collected and analysed the data. LS and VÖ wrote the manuscript. ST, MM, and EU revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Savolainen, L., Timpmann, S., Mooses, M. et al. Vitamin D supplementation does not enhance resistance training-induced gains in muscle strength and lean body mass in vitamin D deficient young men. Eur J Appl Physiol 121, 2077–2090 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04674-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04674-9