Frontiers: A Single Workout Can Help Maintain Vitamin D Levels in the Body

The main strategies for preventing vitamin D deficiency are dietary changes, taking supplements, and regular exposure to sunlight. However, a review of scientific studies has shown that physical activity may also affect vitamin D levels in the body.

According to the researchers, even a single workout can temporarily increase blood levels of vitamin D and its active form, 1,25(OH)2D3 (calcitriol). These changes occur within just a few hours of physical activity, and the effect lasts longer in people who exercise regularly.

“This association was particularly pronounced during the winter months, when vitamin D levels typically decline due to a lack of sunlight. In people who exercised regularly, this seasonal decline was less pronounced. In addition, they did not experience a decrease in the concentration of the biologically active form of vitamin D, which plays a role in regulating various processes in the body,” the researchers explained.

The beneficial effects of physical activity could not be explained solely by weight loss, as the changes were also observed independently of reductions in body weight. Further research is needed to determine the exact mechanisms underlying these beneficial effects.