Does vitamin D supplementation improve bone health, body composition and physical performance beyond endurance exercise in patients with type 2 diabetes: A secondary analysis of randomized controlled trial

This study aimed to assess the effects of a 12-week vitamin D and endurance exercise intervention on bone health, body composition and physical performance among patients with type 2 diabetes. Totally, 61 patients were randomly assigned to vitamin D (VDG), exercise (EG), vitamin D and exercise intervention (VEG), and control (CG) groups. Bone health (bone mineral density, BMD; bone mineral content, BMC), body composition and physical performance were measured before and after the intervention. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess bone health and body composition. There were no additive effects of vitamin D beyond exercise were observed. Vitamin D supplementation had significant effects on maintaining bone health compared with their counterpart Total (BMC, EG + CG: 2,719.9 +/- 70.0 vs. 2,670.1 +/- 65.6; VDG + VEG: 2,610.9 +/- 88.2 vs. 2,605.3 +/- 84.8; trunk BMC, 870.2 +/- 26.8 vs. 836.3 +/- 23.7; 824.8 +/- 29.5 vs. 822.1 +/- 27.8; spine BMD, 1.15 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.11 +/- 0.02; 1.09 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.09 +/- 0.02) were observed. Exercise had a main effect on the reduction of total and trunk BF%. Patients in EG had a decreased BMC, while it was alleviated in VEG after intervention. Although no additive effect of vitamin D supplementation beyond exercise training, the supplementation had a potential effect on the prevention of bone loss induced by exercise only.

Automated summary

This study aimed to assess the effects of a 12-week vitamin D and endurance exercise intervention on bone health, body composition, and physical performance among patients with type 2 diabetes. The results showed that vitamin D supplementation had significant effects on maintaining bone health, while exercise had a main effect on reducing body fat percentage.