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Winter vitamin D3 supplementation does not increase muscle strength, but modulates the IGF-axis in young children

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European Journal of Nutrition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To explore whether muscle strength, the insulin-like growth factor axis (IGF-axis), height, and body composition were associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and affected by winter vitamin D supplementation in healthy children, and furthermore to explore potential sex differences.

Methods

We performed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose–response winter trial at 55ºN. A total of 117 children aged 4–8 years were randomly assigned to either placebo, 10, or 20 µg/day of vitamin D3 for 20 weeks. At baseline and endpoint, we measured muscle strength with handgrip dynamometer, fat mass index (FMI), fat free mass index (FFMI), height, plasma IGF-1, IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), and serum 25(OH)D.

Results

At baseline, serum 25(OH)D was positively associated with muscle strength, FFMI, and IGFBP-3 in girls only (all p < 0.01). At endpoint, baseline-adjusted muscle strength, FMI and FFMI did not differ between intervention groups. However, baseline-adjusted IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were higher after 20 µg/day compared to placebo (p = 0.043 and p = 0.006, respectively) and IGFBP-3 was also higher after 20 µg/day compared to 10 µg/day (p = 0.011). Children tended to be taller after 20 µg/day compared to placebo (p = 0.064). No sex interactions were seen at endpoint.

Conclusions

Avoiding the winter-related decline in serum 25(OH)D may influence IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in children. Larger trials are required to confirm these effects, and the long-term implication for linear growth.

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Abbreviations

BIA :

Bioelectrical impedance analysis

BMI :

Body mass index

CV :

Coefficient of variation

FFM :

Fat free mass

FFMI :

Fat free mass index

FM :

Fat mass

FMI :

Fat mass index

ICC :

Intraclass correlation coefficient

IGF-1 :

Insulin-like growth factor 1

IGFBP-3 :

IGF-binding protein-3

LC-MS/MS :

Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

ODIN :

Food-based solutions for optimal vitamin D nutrition and health through the life cycle

VDR :

Vitamin D receptor

1,25(OH) 2 D :

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D

25(OH)D :

25-hydroxyvitamin D

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the participating children and their parents.

Funding

This project was funded by the European Commission (FP7/2007–2013) under Grant Agreement 613977 for the ODIN Integrated Project [Food-based solutions for optimal vitamin D nutrition and health through the life cycle http://www.odin-vitd.eu/].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Charlotte Mortensen, Christian Mølgaard, Hanne Hauger & Camilla T. Damsgaard

  2. Department of Nutrition and Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Technology, Metropolitan University College, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Charlotte Mortensen & Michael Kristensen

Authors
  1. Charlotte Mortensen
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  3. Hanne Hauger
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  5. Camilla T. Damsgaard
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Contributions

CTD and CMø: Designed the study; CMo, CTD, HH, and CMø: Conducted the research; CMo: Performed the statistical analyses and drafted the manuscript; CTD, CMø, HH, and MK: Assisted in the manuscript preparation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Charlotte Mortensen.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standard

This study involving humans was approved by the Committees on Biomedical Research Ethics for the Capital Region of Denmark (H-3-2014-022), and has, therefore, been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. We obtained informed written consent from all parents. Any details that may have disclosed the identity of the participants were omitted. The study was registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02145195.

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Mortensen, C., Mølgaard, C., Hauger, H. et al. Winter vitamin D3 supplementation does not increase muscle strength, but modulates the IGF-axis in young children. Eur J Nutr 58, 1183–1192 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-018-1637-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-018-1637-x

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