Lee Swanson Research Update

Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements Reduce Stress Fractures

October 2007

calcium

Calcium and vitamin D supplementation, even over a short time period, can significantly reduce stress fractures (overuse injuries in the bone), according to a study reported at the 53rd annual Orthopaedic Research Society meeting in San Diego, CA.

The randomized, double-blind study, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, looked at 5,201 female U.S. Navy recruits during eight weeks of basic training from 2002 to 2006. The women, ages 17 to 35, were divided into two groups with one group receiving daily pill supplements of 2,000 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D, and the other group receiving placebo pills. Calcium supports bone formation and repair, while vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium.

During the study, 170 recruits in the placebo group experienced stress fractures, about 25% more than in the group taking the calcium/vitamin D supplements. “What really surprised us is that calcium/vitamin D supplements made a significant difference in such a short period time. Frankly, we were not sure we would see any statistically significant results in only eight weeks,” said principal investigator Joan Lappe, Ph.D., R.N., a professor of nursing and medicine at Creighton University.

Lappe noted that the study might also have implications for nonmilitary populations. “It appears that supplementation with calcium and vitamin D provides a health-promoting, easy and inexpensive intervention that does not interfere with training goals,” she said.

Creighton University news release

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