The Study
Vitamin D supplementation does not enhance resistance training-induced gains in muscle strength and lean body mass in vitamin D deficient young men
This study is like a fair test where two groups of guys who didn’t have enough vitamin D did the same workout — one group took vitamin D pills and the other took sugar pills. The results showed both groups got just as strong and built the same amount of muscle, so the vitamin D didn’t help them get stronger than the sugar pills.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists gave young men who were low in vitamin D either a vitamin D pill or a fake pill while they lifted weights for 12 weeks.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 547 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — taking high-dose vitamin D didn’t help them get stronger or more muscular, but it did help them lose belly fat.
- 2Vitamin D group: vitamin D levels went up from 36 to 142 nmol/L, belly fat went down.
- 3Both groups got stronger and gained muscle — but the fake pill group got stronger in chest press and seated row.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Applied Physiology
Year
2021
Authors
Lauri Savolainen, S. Timpmann, Martin Mooses, Evelin Mäestu, L. Medijainen, Lisette Tõnutare, Frederik Ross, Märt Lellsaar, E. Unt, V. Ööpik
Related Content
Claims (6)
Having more vitamin D in your body might help you build more muscle and store less fat, directing your body’s energy toward making lean tissue instead.
If you're a young man with low vitamin D and you lift weights, your muscles will get stronger and you'll gain more muscle mass—even if you don't take vitamin D pills.
Taking a high-dose vitamin D pill every day for three months won't help young men who are low on vitamin D build more muscle or gain more lean body mass from weight training, even though their vitamin D levels go up to normal.
If young men who don’t have enough vitamin D take a high-dose vitamin D pill every day for 12 weeks while working out, they lose belly fat — but if they take a fake pill instead, their belly fat doesn’t change.
Taking a daily vitamin D pill of 8000 IU for 3 months can boost vitamin D levels in young men from dangerously low to healthy levels, while those who take a fake pill (placebo) stay low.
Taking a high-dose vitamin D pill every day for three months won't help young men who are low on vitamin D get stronger from weight training—and might even make them weaker compared to those who take a sugar pill.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.