Effectiveness of Vitamin D supplementation to Reduce Injury and Illness in the UK Armed Forces with Specific Reference to Stress Fracture Risk Reduction (D_SAF)
Overview:
This is a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation to reduce stress fracture risk and susceptibility to respiratory infection and skin/soft tissue infection (SSTI) using Royal Marine recruits undertaking arduous physical training. The trial is being led by the Institute of Naval Medicine working collaboratively with the Centre through the University of Oxford and the University of Southampton.
Vitamin D and its potential role in preventing injury and illness are of importance to Royal Marines, and more importantly, for the general public. This is especially important under current circumstances, where vitamin D is being proposed as a modulating factor for COVID-19 infection risk and/ or infection severity.
Aims and Objectives:
The primary research aim of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation to reduce stress fracture risk and susceptibility to skin, soft tissue infection and respiratory infection in Royal Marine recruits undertaking arduous physical training in a randomised control trial.