Research

Micronutrients & recovery

Vitamin D deficiency, exacerbated by lockdown-induced reduced sun exposure, contributes to muscle loss by impairing calcium handling, mitochondrial function, and insulin signaling.

Get your Vitamin D levels checked, especially if you are older or indoors most of the time. Supplementation may help muscle strength if you are deficient, but it will not replace the need for exercise and protein.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Vitamin D plays an important role in the regulation of muscle contraction, with deficiency altering sarcoplasmic calcium handling leading to prolonged muscle relaxation... Vitamin D decreases the expression of myostatin, a negative regulator of muscle mass.
Richard Kirwan et al. · GeroScience · 2020

Why this rating

Mix of observational studies and some RCTs, but results are mixed on strength outcomes.

Source

Sarcopenia during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions: long-term health effects of short-term muscle loss

Richard Kirwan et al. · GeroScience · 2020

narrative_reviewCited 335×
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