A new study has revealed that teen girls with higher levels of key nutrient Vitamin D may be able to jump higher and faster as compared to their peers with lower levels.
 
The research, which will be published in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), discovered that Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to have a significant negative impact on muscle as well as bone health that causes conditions like osteoporosis and rickets.

Dr. Kate Ward, Ph.D., of the University of Manchester in the U.K., and lead author of the study said, “We know vitamin D deficiency can weaken the muscular and skeletal systems, but until now, little was known about the relationship of vitamin D with muscle power and force.”

“Our study found that vitamin D is positively related to muscle power, force, velocity and jump height in adolescent girls.”

British researchers gathered vitamin D levels for 99 girls between the ages of 12 and 14 years.

Dr. Ward and her fellow workers took blood samples in order to measure the girls’ serum levels of vitamin D. Lots of these girls were found to have low levels of vitamin D despite not showing any signs.

To check muscle functions, the girls were asked to jump as high as possible while study researchers used a novel outcome measure known as jumping mechanography designed to calculate power and performance.

Ward said that this method of screening is perfect as the muscles required to jump are those most often affected in subjects with vitamin D deficiency. Girls without vitamin D deficiency performed significantly better in these examinations.

“Vitamin D affects the various ways muscles work and we’ve seen from this study that there may be no visible symptoms of vitamin D deficiency,” she said.

“Further studies are needed to address this problem and determine the necessary levels of vitamin D for a healthy muscle system,” the researcher added.