Vitamin D Boosts Energy Levels from Within Cells: Study

Vitamin D is one of the most widely used supplements, as it not only regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, but also lowers the risk of many forms of cancer. A recent study further reveals why it is important.

The role of this crucial vitamin in other health issues is just emerging. A latest study conducted by researchers at the Newcastle University suggests that vitamin D is important for improving the functions of our muscle, which thereby enhance the function of the mitochondria (power house of the cell), leading to a boost in energy levels.

Vitamin D is naturally produced by our skin on exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. Food that has a high concentration of vitamin D includes milk, cereals, fish, egg yolk, and orange juice.

According to the study, nearly 60 percent of people residing in the U.K. suffer from a lack of vitamin D; with kids below 5 years, people with dark skin and elderly people being prone to the lack of this vitamin.  

With the help of non-invasive magnetic resonance scans, researchers measured the response of 12 patients to exercise who had severe deficiency, before and after treatment with vitamin D.

According to study lead author Dr. Akash Sinha, who also works within the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, "The scans provided a unique window into what is really going on in the muscle as it works. Examining this small group of patients with vitamin D deficiency who experienced symptoms of muscle fatigue, we found that those with very low vitamin D levels improved their muscle efficiency significantly when their vitamin D levels were improved."

With the help of glucose and oxygen, mitochondria converts energy into ATP, which is an energy-rich molecule and can be used to power the cell. A lot of ATP is required by muscle cells for movement and for this use, phosphocreatine is a ready and available energy source to make ATP.

For those with vitamin D deficiency, poor bone health and muscle fatigue is a common symptom. Fatigue occurs due to the reduced efficiency of mitochondria. After muscle contraction, the mitochondria replenishes the phosphocreatine store and measures the time taken in replenishing the store. Shorter phosphocreatine recovery is linked to improved mitochondrial functioning.

It was noticed that in those patients who had oral vitamin D for 10-12 weeks, there was an improvement in their recovery rate. There was a reduction on the average phosphocreatine recovery, from 34.4 sec to 27.8 sec. Patients who took the supplements had an improvement in symptoms of fatigue.

This is the first study that highlights the link between vitamin D and mitochondria cells. It will be published in the journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.