Vitamin D, a key milk nutrient, linked to better muscle power

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Vitamin D, a key milk nutrient, linked to better muscle power

New study reveals teen girls with higher vitamin D levels may have

improved muscle performance

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/wsw-vda020409.php

Young female athletes could have yet another reason to grab a glass

of vitamin D-rich milk. Not only does vitamin D work with calcium to

keep bones strong, researchers found that teenage girls with higher

vitamin D levels may be able to jump higher and faster than their

peers with lower levels, suggests a new study published in the

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

UK researchers collected vitamin D levels for 99 girls, ages 12 to

14. To test the girls' muscle function, the girls were instructed to

jump as high as possible while researchers used a device designed to

measure power and performance called jumping mechanography. After

controlling for differences in the girls' body weight, the girls with

the highest vitamin D levels had the highest jump speeds, 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 so much more.

Emerging science suggests vitamin D may also help protect against

diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and certain cancers. It may

also support a healthy immune system to ward off infections, and some

preliminary evidence suggests it may affect longevity.

Yet despite a potential upside of boosting vitamin D levels,

Americans of all ages still fall short of their vitamin D needs. Even

in this study with demonstrated muscle benefits, overall, the girls'

vitamin D levels were far less than ideal – a finding consistent with

numerous studies indicating a resurgence in vitamin D deficiencies in

adolescence. In fact, current deficiency levels prompted the American

Academy of Pediatrics to double the vitamin D recommendations for

children and teens to 400 IU daily. The Academy estimates that up to

half of adolescents have low vitamin D levels.

The recommended three glasses of lowfat or fat free milk a day

delivers 75 percent of the vitamin D that's needed each day. Milk

remains the leading source of vitamin D in the American diet – it's

one of the few food sources of the super nutrient. Plus, along with

vitamin D, milk is a good source of calcium and high-quality protein –

two nutrients vital to help teens maintain bone density and lean

muscle.