How Vitamin D Helps Muscles Grow with Protein
1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 enhances the stimulating effect of leucine and insulin on protein synthesis rate through Akt/PKB and mTOR mediated pathways in murine C2C12 skeletal myotubes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Vitamin D alone didn’t boost protein synthesis—it only worked when combined with leucine and insulin.
Many assume vitamin D directly builds muscle; this shows it’s more of a synergistic co-pilot, not a solo actor.
Practical Takeaways
Consider taking vitamin D with your post-workout protein shake, since insulin spikes after eating and leucine is abundant in whey.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Vitamin D alone didn’t boost protein synthesis—it only worked when combined with leucine and insulin.
Many assume vitamin D directly builds muscle; this shows it’s more of a synergistic co-pilot, not a solo actor.
Practical Takeaways
Consider taking vitamin D with your post-workout protein shake, since insulin spikes after eating and leucine is abundant in whey.
Publication
Journal
Molecular nutrition & food research
Year
2013
Authors
J. Salles, A. Chanet, C. Giraudet, V. Patrac, P. Pierre, M. Jourdan, Y. Luiking, S. Verlaan, C. Migné, Y. Boirie, S. Walrand
Related Content
Claims (4)
A form of vitamin D that your body uses helps muscle cells grow better, improves how muscles use insulin to build protein, and makes the energy factories inside muscle cells work harder.
When scientists add a form of vitamin D to mouse muscle cells in a dish, the cells start making more of two important proteins: one that helps them respond to insulin, and one that helps them respond to vitamin D itself.
When scientists added a form of vitamin D along with leucine and insulin to muscle cells from mice, the cells made more protein than usual—about 14 to 16% more—suggesting these three things work better together than alone.
In muscle cells from mice, a form of vitamin D makes the cells respond stronger to leucine and insulin, which are signals that tell the body to build muscle — so it might help muscles grow better.