Vitamin C: Not Known As A Muscle-Builder, But Studies Prove It Is

Muscle mass is critical for building and maintaining strong bones and avoiding falls and fractures. A recent study found an unexpected correlation between muscle mass and intake levels of a well-known vitamin.

In this article, we’ll analyze the study and what it reveals about what our muscles require and how to ensure we provide our body with every opportunity to stay strong and healthy. Then you’ll learn how easy it is to boost your intake of this often-overlooked muscle-mass maximizer.

An Overlooked Benefit Of Vitamin C

A study published in The Journal of Nutrition found a direct correlation between Vitamin C intake and muscle mass among 13,000 middle-aged and older participants. The results showed that participants with the lowest Vitamin C levels had less muscle mass than those with the highest intake.¹

The researchers used fat-free mass as a proxy for skeletal muscle mass and estimated levels using bioelectric impedance analysis. Participants’ dietary Vitamin C intakes were calculated from 7-day food diary data, but the study did not rely only on food frequency questionnaires. The researchers also directly measured participants’ Vitamin C levels using blood tests.

Analysis of the data revealed that women with the lowest dietary Vitamin C intake had nearly 2% less muscle than women with the highest intake, even after adjusting for confounding factors, including exercise, smoking, and protein intake. Men showed similar, though slightly smaller patterns.¹

Overall, about 35% of male participants and 17% of female participants had insufficient Vitamin C levels in their blood, even though they were not showing other major symptoms of deficiency.¹

Synopsis

A study correlated Vitamin C deficiency with reduced muscle mass among 13,000 middle-aged and older participants. Researchers compared muscle mass measurements to food diary data and blood test results to identify associations. Women with the lowest Vitamin C levels had up to 4% less muscle mass than those with the highest Vitamin C levels.

How Vitamin C Supports Muscle Mass

Vitamin C has a reputation as an immune-booster, but this study makes a strong case for viewing it as a muscle-builder.

Vitamin C supports the health and maintenance of muscle tissue through multiple mechanisms. It is essential for the production of carnitine, a compound that helps muscles burn fat for energy. Without sufficient carnitine, muscles can not efficiently generate the energy required for effective exercise.

Vitamin C also plays a critical role in collagen production. Collagen is best known for maintaining skin elasticity, but it also forms structural scaffolding within muscle cells and tendons.

Collagen also makes up the majority of the organic portion of bone mass. It forms a collagen matrix that provides a structure for mineral crystal formation and increases the tensile strength of bone.

In animal experiments, diets lacking in Vitamin C activated proteins that broke down muscle tissue. However, when Vitamin C was reintroduced to the animals’ diets, the muscle loss reversed. ¹

Vitamin C also functions as an antioxidant. It protects muscle cells from free radicals generated during normal metabolism, preventing cellular damage and reducing inflammatory signals that contribute to muscle breakdown.

Synopsis

Vitamin C supports muscle mass through multiple pathways. It is used to produce carnitine, a compound that helps muscles burn fat for energy. It is essential for collagen production, which benefits both muscle and bone tissue. Its antioxidant action prevents damage to muscle cells from free radicals and inflammation.

Getting Enough Vitamin C

The study gathered extensive data about participants’ daily diets. They found that most participants get their Vitamin C from four sources: fruits, vegetables, potatoes, and fruit juices.¹

The difference in dietary Vitamin C intake between the lowest and highest intake groups has a significant impact, but is relatively small in terms of dietary choices. Adding three additional sources of Vitamin C to your daily diet would make up the difference.

Food sources of Vitamin C are excellent dietary choices because they typically provide additional bone-building benefits. That makes reaching your daily recommended Vitamin C intake beneficial for your bone health.

The following foods are rich in Vitamin C:

• Bell peppers*
• Guava*
• Papaya*
• Strawberries*
• Tomato juice
• Broccoli*
• Pineapple*
• Brussels Sprouts*
• Oranges*
• Kiwi*
• Mango
• Cantaloupe*
• Grapefruit*
• Red Cabbage*
• Cauliflower*
• Kale*
• Zucchini*
• Potato
• Sweet potatoes*
• Chili Peppers*
• Black Currants
• Spinach*
• Lychee
• Mustard Greens*
• Parsley*
• Rosehips
• Tomatoes*

The Save Institute recommends reinforcing your healthy diet with supplements to ensure your body has everything it needs to keep your bones strong. We recommend taking 1,000 mg of ascorbic acid daily.

Synopsis

The Vitamin C-rich foods listed above are excellent additions to your bone-building diet. The Save Institute recommends taking a daily Vitamin C supplement of 1,000 mg of ascorbic acid.

What This Means To You

Ensure your diet contains ample sources of Vitamin C, and supplement with a daily dose of 1000mg of ascorbic acid.

If you’re wondering how to incorporate more of these foods into your meals, check out Bone Appétit. Bone Appétit is the Save Institute’s cookbook and meal planner. It’s filled with delicious bone-building recipes that are packed with nutrient-dense, whole ingredients.Bone Appétit‘s special collection of smoothie recipes is an especially fast, easy, and tasty way to boost your Vitamin C levels.

It does not take much to elevate your diet from adequate to excellent. Make a small, impactful choice to improve your nutritional intake today. Every step in the right direction brings you closer to accomplishing your bone health goals.

References

¹ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32851397/