Vitamin D may offer preventative measures against muscle injury, study finds

A study that looked at a team of NFL football players to evaluate the effect of vitamin D consumption and prevalence of muscle injury has found a greater susceptibility to this type of damage when vitamin D deficiencies existed. Similar to football, body building provides muscles with a great workout, therefore, the results may prove useful in your weight training regimen.

The study was conducted at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and looked at 89 players whose average age was 25. Thirty percent of the participants had deficient levels of vitamin D, which were defined as less than 20 nanograms per milliliter (<20 ng/mL). Another 45 athletes had nutrient insufficiency (20-31.9 ng/mL). Levels were normal for 17 players (>32 ng/mL). Among the players with a mean vitamin D level of 19.9 ng/mL, a total of 16 were found to have muscle injuries.

So whether your game plan is the West Coast Offense or benching 350 lbs, a good dose of vitamin D may help prevent muscle injury.

"Further research also needs to be conducted in order to determine if increasing vitamin D leads to improved maximum muscle function," said Dr. Joseph Lane, MD, director of the Metabolic Bone Disease Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery."

Keep your eyes on the big D, as this vitamin may provide not only a remarkable defense but could offer an offensive strategy as well.