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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Jul 21;18(1):48.
doi: 10.1186/s12902-018-0277-8.

The effects of single high-dose or daily low-dosage oral colecalciferol treatment on vitamin D levels and muscle strength in postmenopausal women

Mahmut Apaydin  1 , Asli Gencay Can  2 , Muhammed Kizilgul  3 , Selvihan Beysel  3 , Seyfullah Kan  3 , Mustafa Caliskan  3 , Taner Demirci  3 , Ozgur Ozcelik  3 , Mustafa Ozbek  3 , Erman Cakal  3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The effects of single high-dose or daily low-dosage oral colecalciferol treatment on vitamin D levels and muscle strength in postmenopausal women

Mahmut Apaydin et al. BMC Endocr Disord. .

Abstract

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is a common health problem. Vitamin D supplements are used to improve vitamin D status; however, there are contradictory data related to what doses to give and how often they should be given. Many studies have investigated the effects of vitamin D supplementation on muscle strength, but the results remain controversial. We aimed to compare the effects and safety of single high-dose with daily low-dose oral colecalciferol on 25(OH)D levels and muscle strength in postmenopausal women with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency.

Methods and design: Sixty healthy postmenopausal women who had serum vitamin D levels < 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L) were enrolled in the study. Group 1 (n = 32) was given daily oral dosages of 800 IU vitamin D3, and group 2 (n = 28) was given a single oral dose of 300,000 IU vitamin D3. Serum vitamin D levels and muscle strengths were measured at the beginning, 4th, and 12th week. Muscle strength tests were performed at 60° using a Biodex system 3 isokinetic dynamometer.

Results: Pretreatment vitamin D levels did not differ between the two groups (10.2 ± 4.4 ng/mL (25,4 ± 10,9 nmol/L); 9.7 ± 4.4 ng/mL (24,2 ± 10,9 nmol/L), p > 0.05). A significant increase in vitamin D levels was observed in both groups at 4 and 12 weeks after vitamin D3 treatment. The increase in the single-dose group was significantly higher than the daily low-dosage group at the 4th week (35.9 ± 9.6 ng/mL (89,6 ± 23,9 nmol/L), 16.9 ± 5.8 ng/mL (42,1 ± 14,4 nmol/L), p = 0.01). The increase in the single-dose group was significantly higher than in the daily low dosage group at the 12th week (23.4 ± 4.7 ng/mL (58,4 ± 11,7 nmol/L), 19.8 ± 7.2 ng/mL (49,4 ± 17,9 nmol/L), p = 0.049). The quadriceps muscle strength score increased significantly in the daily group at the 4th week (p = 0.038). The hamstring muscle strength score increased significantly in the daily group at the 12th week (p = 0.037).

Conclusion: Although daily administration routes are more effective in improving muscle strength, a single administration is more effective in increasing vitamin D levels.

Trial registration number: ISRCTN14226530 (04.07.2018), Name of the registry: ISRCTN registry, The study was retrospectively registered.

Keywords: Muscle strength; Postmenopausal women; Vitamin D.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Approval of ethical committee and written informed consent of participants were obtained before the study (Diskapi Training and Research Hospital. Date: 26. 01. 2015, Reference No:19/36).

Consent for publication

Non applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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