The effects of vitamin D on skeletal muscle strength, muscle mass, and muscle power: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

What this study found

Vitamin D supplementation produced a small positive effect on global muscle strength, especially lower limb strength, but did not significantly improve muscle mass or muscle power. Benefit was greater in people with low baseline vitamin D and in older or frail populations. The pooled evidence base included 30 RCTs, but the certainty was only moderate for muscle strength and low for muscle mass and muscle power. The authors concluded that vitamin D may help muscle strength modestly, while better trials are needed to define optimal dose, route, and duration.

Study & population

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in adults from the general population, with many older participants and women, studied in community-dwelling, institutionalized, hospitalized, and other clinical settings.

Intervention

Vitamin D supplementation was evaluated across 30 randomized controlled trials, using vitamin D3, vitamin D2, alfacalcidol, or 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D.

Key limitation

The included trials were heterogeneous in population, vitamin D form, dose, duration, and use of calcium co-supplementation, which limits comparability.

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