New research published in the journal Advanced Science suggests that getting regular exercise during the darker winter months may help people maintain vitamin D levels.
The study was a randomized controlled trial that sought to determine how regular exercise affects vitamin D levels during the winter months. Many people become deficient in vitamin D during winter at northerly latitudes, when a lack of sunlight makes vitamin D synthesis harder. Vitamin D accumulates in fat tissue, and people who are overweight tend to have lower levels of vitamin D. In this study, participants who were overweight or obese were divided into two groups: one group was prescribed four indoor cardiovascular exercise sessions per week, while the other group was instructed to maintain their habitual lifestyle. The study lasted 10 weeks during the winter months in the northern hemisphere, and vitamin D levels were measured before and after the study.
The results showed that the group who exercised regularly saw a smaller drop in their overall vitamin D levels compared to the control group. The exercising group saw a drop of about 15%, while the control group saw a drop of about 25%. Additionally, the exercising group maintained healthy levels of the active form of vitamin D, which supports the immune system and bone health, while the control group had active vitamin D levels fall by about 15%. Both groups maintained a stable weight throughout the study, so the results were due to exercise alone and not weight loss.
The authors noted that this was the first study to show that exercise alone can potentially prevent a drop in vitamin D levels during winter. Exercise benefits our health and wellness in many ways, including well-known benefits like heart and brain health and less-known benefits like maintenance of vitamin D levels.
Sources: Advanced Science, Science Daily