Research
Hormonal
Vitamin D status influences muscle function through genomic mechanisms involving the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) and non-genomic rapid calcium handling.
Understanding that Vitamin D acts directly on muscle cells via specific receptors helps explain why deficiency leads to weakness. It is not just about bones.
StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
The identification of the VDR... has provided some insight into the complex mechanisms by which vitamin D and its metabolic pathways may affect muscle function. The recognition of both genomic and non-genomic effects of vitamin D in skeletal muscle... further illustrates the significance of vitamin D in muscle function.
Why this rating
Well-established molecular biology, supported by multiple citations of receptor isolation and gene expression studies.
Source
Vitamin D and Human Skeletal Muscle
Bruce Hamilton · Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports · 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.01016.x
narrative_reviewCited 273×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Vitamin D deficiency causes proximal muscle weakness and myopathy, which is reversible with supplementation, independent of bone health status.Good
- Vitamin D supplementation improves muscle morphology (Type II fiber size) and function in deficient individuals, but evidence for performance benefits in healthy, non-deficient young athletes is limited.Moderate
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