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| Dr David Scott |
A world-first study led by researchers at the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health sheds light on the health effects of vitamin D and high physical activity levels among older adults.
Published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
and Metabolism, the
research is the first to show that having both high vitamin D and high physical
activity levels reduces gains in body fat over five years in older adults.
However the reduction in weight gain
is probably not explained by a direct benefit of vitamin D alone, said lead
author Dr David Scott from the Department of Medicine.
“Rather, the finding appears to be
related to the fact that older adults with high vitamin D and physical
activity levels perform more moderate and vigorous intensity activity,” said Dr
Scott.
“While both high vitamin D and high
physical activity levels have been linked to lower body fat and better muscle
strength during ageing, it is not clear whether these effects are independent
of each other, or whether high vitamin D enhances physical activity benefits in
older adults.”
The research team measured vitamin D
levels and physical activity (steps per day) in 615 community-dwelling older
adults.
“Five years later, we examined the
study participants’ muscle strength and changes in their body composition using
specialised X-rays.”
