Effect of vitamin D3 supplementation in winter on physical performance of university students: a one-month randomized controlled trial

Background: There is epidemiological evidence which suggests an association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and bone and muscle function; however, it is unclear whether vitamin D supplementation has an added benefit beyond bone health. Here, we investigated the effects of vitamin D3 supplementation (1 month) on physical performance in Chinese university students in winter. Methods: One hundred and seventeen eligible subjects with 25(OH)D (19.2 +/- 7.8 ng/mL) were randomly assigned to either vitamin D3 supplement (N = 56; 1000 IU/day) or the control (N = 61) group for 1 month. Pre- and post-measurements included: 1) serum levels of 25 (OH)D; 2) musculoskeletal and pulmonary function [vertical jump height (VJH) and right handgrip strength (RHS), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume at 1s (FEV1)]; 3) bone turnover markers [parathyroid hormone (PTH), n-terminal osteocalcin (N-MID), and calcium]; 4) hemoglobin-related parameters [hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), red blood cells (RBC), and red cell distribution width (RDW)]; 5) lipid parameters [total triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)]; 6) Fatigue-related indicators [serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and total testosterone (T)]. In addition, aerobic capacity was assessed by measuring maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2)max) at baseline. Results: During wintertime, supplementation with 1000 IU/d of vitamin D-3 significantly increased serum 25(OH) D levels (from 18.85 +/- 7.04 to 26.98 +/- 5.88 ng/ mL, p < 0.05), accompanied by a decrease of PTH (p < 0.05). However, vitamin D-3 supplementation did not significantly impact the physical performance, serum lipid parameters, and bone turnover markers of students. Furthermore, 25(OH)D was found to be positively correlated with VJH and negatively correlated with PTH and TC at the beginning and end of the study (p < 0.05). In addition, the multiple linear regression analysis showed that 25(OH)D combined with athletic, gender, height, weight, Hb, and FVC could account for 84.0% of the VO2max value. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that one-month of 1000 IU/d of vitamin D3 supplementation during the winter had beneficial effects on 25(OH)D status and PTH. However, vitamin D-3 intervention was not sufficient to improve physical performance. Furthermore, 25(OH)D levels combined with athletic, Hb and FVC could be a predictor of VO2max.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effects of one-month vitamin D3 supplementation on physical performance in Chinese university students during winter. The results showed that supplementation increased serum 25(OH)D levels and decreased PTH, but did not significantly impact physical performance, lipid parameters, and bone turnover markers. Additionally, 25(OH)D levels combined with athletic, Hb, and FVC were found to be predictors of VO2max.