Very exciting research out of the United Kingdom has been completed testing muscle strength and power output relative to an individuals vitamin D status. Researchers found that lower levels of Vitamin D affect power output in the subjects tested. This is exciting for us at Synergy Strength as we train for strength and power and we do not want anything to hold us back, especially nutritional deficiencies.
Researchers used young women as their test subjects and evaluated vitamin D status from serum levels of 25 hydroxyvitamin D (OHD) and muscular strength and power output from jumping mechanography, which is designed to measure muscle force and power by deriving measurements from an individual’s ground reaction forces. The jumping mechanography also took into account muscle power, velocity of jump, jump height, and force per kg of body weight. After collecting all the data researchers found a positive correlation between serum levels of 25 OHD and velocity, jump height, power, and force of the vertical jump test. This means that sufficient vitamin D levels will allow for optimal power output and performance.
Vertical jump heights are tested on athletes in many sports to assess their long-term potential for development within the sport. Weightlifting coaches have long been known for testing youths vertical jump height for recruitment and testing of potential within the sport, as vertical jump heights are correlated positivity with power output and snatch and clean and jerk numbers. The more power athletes can output the better in sports such as weightlifting.
Researchers stated; “Given that the forces generated by muscles drive bone development, our data suggest that the bones are not being maximally loaded, which might affect the development of peak bone strength.” This is something we should take into consideration for our children and young adults – having them tested for Vitamin D status can positively affect their future muscular strength and bone development. This can also be of interest for prevention of osteoporosis, as higher levels of strength and muscle force can affect bone loss later in life.
It is clear that muscle function is affected by vitamin D levels, considering most individuals tested on levels of Vitamin D are considered low, it may be worth your time to ingest high levels of Vitamin D through nutritional means (fatty fish) or the use of supplementation – Poliquin D3 Excellence.
For those involved in power and strength sports (weightlifting, rugby, CrossFit, etc) vitamin D status is very important for optimal performance, this is clear. If a drop in muscular power and force development are found in low Vitamin D status it will negatively impact workout or sport performance.
