Does vitamin D increase muscle strength?

First identified as a vitamin early in the 20th century and now consumed as an essential dietary supplement; the properties of vitamin D have multiple benefits for good health. So, can vitamin D increase muscle strength?

Are you getting enough of this essential nutrient?

Known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, one of the main sources of vitamin D comes from the sun. As UVB rays hit the cholesterol in your skin cells, the energy for vitamin D synthesis is naturally generated.

Playing an important role in helping to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, this incredible ingredient helps to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can unfortunately lead to several bone deformities such as rickets in children and Osteomalacia in adults – a condition resulting in severe bone pain.

Apart from these rather dramatic conditions of a vitamin D deficiency, not getting enough of this essential vitamin can generally leave you feeling a bit run down and tired. One of the most important things vitamin D does is keeping your immune system strong, even more important to make sure you’re getting enough as we head into winter when we are less likely to see the sun!

Did you know that people have various vitamin D requirements? Those with a higher amount of melanin in their skin can need up to 6 times more sunlight to get their required amounts of vitamin D? Then, those with a greater deficiency actually need up to 10 – 12 times more sunlight!

Vitamin D supplements

As we spend many months with short days and little direct sunlight, the UK Government advises that people could be depriving their body of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D. With 80% of our vitamin D coming from sunlight, our body’s may not be producing enough vitamin D due to current isolation measures. Therefore, Public Health England has advised daily supplementation to help support healthy bones, teeth and muscles.

Muscle strength

This incredible nutrient has several significant attributes, with one of its most intriguing being the impact it has on muscle strength. Studies have been done to identify what the effects are when athletes supplement with vitamin D, and if it’s as important for our muscle growth as it is for our bone health.

Lack of vitamin D can also leave you feeling more tired than normal and give you aching muscles which in turn will slow recovery from exercise, which won’t help muscle strength improve. But how much of a difference can the correct about of this nutrient make?

One study looked at a varying dosage of vitamin D; from 400-8,500 IU per day, athletic participants aged 18-45 years were then studied from 6 weeks, to 4 months. To determine success rates of the effects of vitamin D on muscle strength, the maximum amount of weight that could be lifted once for a specific exercise was measured in order to evaluate the strength of test subjects.

It was determined that this essential nutrient can help support and improve the parameters of muscle function. Impressively, all of the participants of this study where vitamin D3 was administered saw a significant increase for improved muscle strength. As the parameter for success looked to the maximum amount of weight that can be lifted by each test subject, participants saw an increase as high as 8%, with bench presses increasing by up to 9 kg!

A multi-functioning vitamin

Amongst the key attributes of vitamin D, there are a handful of surprising additional benefits of this essential nutrient. Studies have shown how its incredible properties can help support;

• Immune, brain, and nervous system health
• Regulating insulin levels and supporting diabetes management
• Lung function and cardiovascular health
• Regulating moods
• Supporting weight loss

With a combination of extensive scientific research and recent advice from our UK Government to help keep healthy bones, teeth and muscles; vitamin D is an essential nutrient for good overall health.

So, if you think you’re not getting enough direct sunlight and may be lacking in vitamin D, consider getting a blood test to check or taking a supplement recommended by your doctor.

Meet Nourished

Nourished is the world’s first truly personalised, nutrition gummy vitamin. By combining patented 3D printing technology and a unique vegan formula, Nourished combines 7 different vitamins and super-foods into one delicious and sugar free gummy stack.

Unlike most sources of vitamin D, Nourished source theirs from Vegan approved sources. Most vitamin D supplements come from a type of grease called wool yolk, which is made by wool-bearing animals. This essential nutrient can also be found organically in a few foods like fatty fish (for example, cod liver oil) and egg yolks.

“As it is difficult for most people to get the recommended amount of vitamin D from food alone, supplementing this essential nutrient is advised. At Nourished, we recommend a healthy balanced diet combined with our Vegan Vita-algae D3™ as one of the layers in your stack, in order to meet the recommended daily intake of vitamin D. All of our ingredients at Nourished are consumed in a gummy stack, meaning they have a much higher absorption rate than standard isolated tablets, so you can have confidence in ensuring you get your recommended daily intake.” – Nourished

For those following a vegan diet, finding a reliable source of vitamin D can therefore prove rather difficult. At Nourished, the Vegan Vita-algae D3™ offers a reliable source of this essential nutrient, which is sourced from a mixture of algae and lichen fungus species.

With a combination of extensive scientific research and recent advice from our UK Government to help keep healthy bones, teeth and muscles; vitamin D is an essential nutrient for good overall health. To get your own recommendation from their in-house nutritionist, complete their short questionnaire on their website by clicking here.

Members, don’t forget you can claim a discount with Nourished by visiting AF Connect Online!

Nourished will 3D print your bespoke blend on demand in a gummy gel for higher absorption, optimum efficacy, and enhanced impact. The eco-friendly box is then delivered directly to your door with less waste, hassle and cost than purchasing all the supplements separately.