MedWire News: Study results suggest that serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin(OH)D are related to physical fitness indices including androidal fat, whole body lean mass, balance, and strength in postmenopausal women.

High 25(OH)D serum levels have been associated with better physical performance, improved muscle mass and balance, and a reduced risk for falling and fractures in the elderly.

Lee Alekel (Iowa State University, Ames, Idaho, USA) and colleagues therefore performed a cross-sectional analysis on 242 healthy postmenopausal women aged 45.8-65.1 years to assess whether serum 25(OH)D levels are associated with physical fitness indices.

Among the parameters of weight, white blood cell count, supplemental calcium intake, age, and study site, serum 25(OH)D was found to be the common contributor to androidal fat mass, lean mass, balance, and handgrip strength.

In total, 63.6 percent of women were vitamin D deficient or insufficient. Of these insufficient and deficient women, 8.5 and 12.3 percent had higher mean fat mass than that of those with sufficient status, respectively.

These women also had lower mean balance and handgrip strength than those with sufficient status, at 5.7 and 10.6 percent and 3.1 and 7.3 percent, respectively.

“This study provides some basis for suggesting that many healthy women do not have adequate vitamin D status, which is important for functional indices of health, providing evidence to test serum 25(OH)D clinically,” conclude Alekel and team.

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