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.
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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