This Supplement Reduces Muscle Damage and Protects Bones

An international team of scientists from Serbia, Russia, and Australia investigated the effects of vitamin D3 supplements in female basketball players with low vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D is known to play an important role in the regulation of calcium and phosphate, which is essential for bone health. It has also been suggested that vitamin D plays an important role in skeletal muscle function and metabolism.

Athletes with low vitamin D levels are at risk of poor bone health, reduced muscle regenerative capacity after exercise, and impaired immune function. Therefore, maintaining proper vitamin D levels is likely important for athletes.

A paper was recently published in European Journal of Sport Science. It reports on the methods and results of a study with the participation of 24 female basketball players with low vitamin D levels. 12 participants, older than 18, competed in the first division of the National Serbian League. The other 12 participants, younger than 18, competed in the second division of the National Serbian League.

During the study, the older participants from the first division were training 10-12 hours and playing a maximum of two competition matches per week. The younger participants from the second division were training 6-8 hours and playing one competition match per week.

The participants were divided into two groups, equal in size and age composition. The participants in one group received vitamin D3 supplements. And the participants in the other group received a placebo (dextrose).

At the beginning of the six weeks study, all participants received a box containing 42 capsules of 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 or dextrose. This, according to the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Science, is the upper tolerable limit. The vitamin D3 and dextrose capsules were identical in color, size, and packaging. All participants were instructed to consume one capsule of their assigned supplement daily for the 42-day duration of the study.

Blood samples were taken in the morning, and several biomarkers in the blood were studied with state-of-the-art equipment and statistical analysis software. An important biomarker for the analysis was 25-hydroxyvitamin D, whose deficiency is indicative of vitamin D insufficiency.

According to the scientists, this is the first study to examine the effect of vitamin D3 supplements on bone and muscle health in female basketball players with vitamin D inadequacy.

The results of the study indicate that Vitamin D3 supplements at a dose of 4,000 IU/day for six weeks were effective at increasing the concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood of female basketball players with vitamin D inadequacy. The results of the study also suggest that Vitamin D3 supplements have the potential to assist in reducing muscle damage and protect bone health in female basketball players with inadequate vitamin D status.

Thrivous develops Tenacity Arthroprotector to enhance joint and bone function for better aging. Each serving provides a clinical dose of Vitamin D3, as well as complementary nutrients. As indicated by this study, Tenacity may reduce muscle damage and protect bone health during physical exertion. Get your Tenacity from the Thrivous online store today!