Muscle strength and muscle mass in elderly women after cholecalciferol supplementation in Southern Brazil

Abstract

AimS: Vitamin D is known to be vital in sustaining musculoskeletal functions, with its deficiency may cause muscle weakness and decreased bone mineral density. Vitamin D inadequacy is highly prevalent and its deficiency or insufficiency estimated to affect one billion people worldwide. It causes secondary hyperparathyroidism, bone loss, fractures and it has been associated with a number of other conditions, such as impaired muscle function (1), we decided to verify if there is an association between 25(OH)D status and handgrip strength and with lean muscle mass after cholecalciferol supplementation in elderly women.Methods : We studied fifty-four postmenopausal women with serum 25(OH)D below 30 ng/mL during three months. Cholecalciferol supplementation was divided into two levels according to classification: deficient (10000 units/day) and insufficient (2000 units/day). Changes in biochemical response and in body composition were assessed using dual-x-ray energy absormetry, handgrip strength and blood tests before and after supplementation.Results: The majority of the sample were vitamin D deficient. There was no difference in the deficient group for handgrip strength after the supplementation (p=0,489), but PTH had a statistically significant reduction (p=0.001). Besides, the deficient group had a decrease in lean mass even after the intervention (p=0.006). The results were similar when comparing within results of the insufficient group, however lean mass remained stable (p=0.423).Conclusion: Three-month cholecalciferol supplementation alone in elderly women with doses according to 25(OH)D serum was insufficient to change handgrip strength and total lean muscle mass, however secondary hyperparathyroidism was corrected.