Health News

Calcium, vitamin D cut stress fractures in active young women: study

February 15, 2007

OMAHA, Neb. -- Very active young women who took higher-than-recommended doses of calcium and vitamin D supplements for eight weeks had fewer stress fractures than women who were given dummy pills, a study of naval recruits showed.

Experts called the results encouraging and of interest to young female athletes as well as women in the military.

''What really surprised us is that calcium/vitamin D supplements made a significant difference in such a short period of time,'' said lead researcher Joan Lappe. ''Frankly, we were not sure we would see any statistically significant results in only eight weeks.''

Stress fractures are the most common type of injury seen in military trainees, particularly women, and are also prevalent in some athletes.

Used trainees at Great Lakes

Roughly 3,700 women, ages 17 to 35, training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Ill., participated in the full study. About half were given supplements with the higher amounts of calcium and vitamin D over their eight-week training periods. The other half took placebos. Fewer fractures were reported among the women who took the supplements.

Dr. Murray J. Favus, the director of the University of Chicago's bone program, often sees stress fractures among young, active women.

The study ''clearly demonstrates that a simple intervention using calcium and vitamin D have significant benefits in reducing the rates of stress fractures. This is very encouraging,'' he said.

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