Vitamin D Linked to Muscle Power

More on the sunshine vitamin and physical performance:

MANCHESTER, England, Feb. 5 -- Vitamin D may play a key role in muscle function in adolescent girls, researchers here said.

Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were significantly associated with muscle force and power in girls ages 12 to 14, Kate Ward, Ph.D., of the University of Manchester, and colleagues reported in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

"We know vitamin D deficiency can weaken the muscular and skeletal systems, but until now, little was known about the relationship of vitamin D with muscle power and force," Dr. Ward said.