Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Recent reports suggest that vitamin D status influences musculoskeletal health; yet, there are limited data in adult men. This study investigated whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration was associated with lean body mass, muscle strength and physical performance in men. DESIGN: Population-based, observational survey. PARTICIPANTS: 1219 black, Hispanic and white randomly selected men aged 30-79 years from the Boston Area Community Health/Bone Survey. MEASUREMENTS: Lean body mass by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, hand grip strength, a composite physical function score (chair stand and walking speed), 25(OH)D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), testosterone, age, race, body mass index, socioeconomic status, education, smoking, arthritis, self-reported health, calcium intake, physical activity. RESULTS: The distributions of serum 25(OH)D quartiles differed by race/ethnicity, education and smoking status. After adjustment for multiple lifestyle factors, serum 25(OH)D was not related to lean body mass, grip strength or the composite physical function score (all P>0.20). There was no variation in the associations between 25(OH)D level and outcomes by race/ethnicity. The relationship between PTH and the outcomes revealed similar results. CONCLUSION: In this population-based sample of adult men with a broad age range, there was no association between serum 25(OH)D concentration and lean body mass, muscle strength and physical function after controlling for multiple lifestyle factors.