NOW Foods - Vitamin D Helps Physical Activity in Elderly

Vitamin D Helps Physical Activity in Elderly

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, August 29, 2007, abstracted from “Effects of vitamin D supplementation and exercise training on physical performance in Chilean vitamin D deficient elderly subjects“ in the 2006 issue of Experimental Gerontology

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 28-34% of adults aged 65 to 74 and 35-44% of adults ages 75 or older engage in no leisure-time physical activity.¹ This inactivity can, over time, result in a condition of muscle loss called sarcopenia. This condition has been linked to an increase in falls, functional decline, osteoporosis, pose a risk for type 2 diabetes² and contribute to the $17 billion each year to treat injuries in the elderly due to falling.³

While vitamin E has been found to help decrease frailty in the elderly,⁴ studies in Europe report that 42% of elderly people have low vitamin D levels (blood levels less than 30 nmol/L).⁵ Building upon previous research showing that vitamin D helps reduce falls in the elderly,⁶ a new study⁷ has found that vitamin D increases physical activity levels in the elderly.

In the study, 96 patients aged 70 years or more with vitamin D levels of 16 ng/ml or less were divided into 4 groups:

Group 1: 800 mg calcium per day plus exercise

Group 2: 400 IU vitamin D and 800 mg calcium per day plus exercise

Group 3: 800 mg calcium per day but no exercise

Group 4: 800 mg calcium and 400 IU vitamin D per day but no exercise

Exercise consisted of 1.5 hours of resistance training and aerobic exercise every other week.

While vitamin D levels in the vitamin D group increased between 100-230% (12.4 ± 2.2 to 25.8 ± 6.5 ng/ml), those who exercised “had significant improvements” (as much as a 48%) in thigh muscle strength (as much as 48% increase in strength) as well as in a short physical performance test and “timed up and go” test (as much as a 48% improvement in time). These improvements were improved more in the vitamin D group but statistical significance wasn’t reached. Regarding walking speed, however, those taking vitamin D had significant improvements whether training or not (p = .02)

For the researchers, “vitamin D supplementation improved gait speed and body sway, and training improved muscle strength.”

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Reference:

¹ Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. www.cdc.gov

² Kamel, H.K., Sarcopenia and aging. Nutr Rev, 2003. 61(5 Pt 1): p. 157-67

³ National Osteoporosis Foundation Website “Fast Facts” www.nof.org/osteoporosis/diseasefacts.htm

⁴ Ferrucci L. Lower Plasma Vitamin E Levels Are Associated With the Frailty Syndrome: The InCHIANTI Study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2006 61: 278-283

⁵ van der Wielen, R.P.J., de Groot, L.C.P.G.M., van Staveren, W.A., Lo¨wik, M.R.H., van den Berg, H., Haller, J., Moreiras, O., 1995. Serum vitamin D concentrations among elderly people in Europe. Lancet 346, 207–210

⁶ Flicker, L. (2005). "Should older people in residential care receive vitamin d to prevent falls? Results of a randomized trial." J Am Geriatr Soc 53(11): 1881-8

⁷ Bunout D. Effects of vitamin D supplementation and exercise training on physical performance in Chilean vitamin D deficient elderly subject. Exp Gerontol 2007; 41(8): 746-752