Insufficient blood levels of vitamin D may cause fat to amass in muscle tissue, reducing muscle strength.
Previous studies have shown that Vitamin D insufficiency is linked to increased body fat and decreased muscle strength. Richard Kremer, from McGill University (Quebec, Canada), and colleagues studied 90 women, ages 16 to 22 years, assessing anthropometric measures, serum 25OHD (a marker of Vitamin D), and ascertained data on fat, muscle mass, and percent muscle fat. The team found that almost 60% of the young women were deficient in Vitamin D, and their muscle fat levels were higher, as compared to women with normal vitamin D levels. The team concludes that: “We found that vitamin D insufficiency is associated with increased fat infiltration in muscle in healthy young women.”
