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CompletedNCT01617109Updated Oct 11, 2018

Optimizing Vitamin D Status During Initial Military Training

An interventional study of Ca/Vit D and Placebo in Bone Health and Nutrition Status, sponsored by United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. Completed at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 17 Years to 42 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-10-11.

Sponsored by United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
342
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
17 Years to 42 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The primary objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is to determine the effect of vitamin D and calcium supplementation (800IU and 2000mg, respectively) on biochemical indicators of nutritional status and bone health in military personnel during Army basic combat training (BCT) and Air Force basic military training (BMT).

The investigators hypothesize that daily supplementation with vitamin D and calcium during military training will improve vitamin D status, stabilize PTH levels, and result in improvements in markers of bone health. As a result of the investigators study design, the findings will provide critically important data regarding the concentration of vitamin D in blood necessary to stabilize PTH levels and to optimize bone formation during initial military training.

Read the detailed description

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for maintaining bone health. Previous work from our laboratory indicates that vitamin D status may decline in Soldiers during BCT, even during the summer months in the Southeastern United States. Stress fractures may affect up to 5% of male and 21% of female Soldiers during training, resulting in attrition in up to 60% of affected personnel, but a recent report indicates that vitamin D and calcium supplementation may attenuate stress fracture risk by up to 20% in female Navy recruits. However, biochemical measures of nutritional status and associated markers of bone health were not collected in that study, leaving questions regarding the vitamin D and calcium requirements for military personnel during periods of elevated bone turnover.

02

Conditions studied

  • Bone Health
  • Nutrition Status

Keywords

  • Vitamin D
  • Calcium
  • Parathyroid hormone
  • Bone
  • Bone formation
  • Bone resorption
  • Micronutrients
  • Trace Elements
03

In context

Lead sponsor

United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine is the lead sponsor of 67 studies on the registry; 9 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
17 Years to 42 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Female or male US Army or US Air Force Recruits
  • Participating in Basic Combat Training or Basic Military Training, respectively

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • History of kidney stones or kidney disease
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
342 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    Other: Placebo

  • Experimental
    Ca/Vit D

    Dietary Supplement: Ca/Vit D

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementCa/Vit D

    800IU vitamin D3 and 2000mg elemental calcium (as calcium carbonate); administered as 5 pills daily or 2 snack bars

  • OtherPlacebo

    administered as 5 pills daily or as 2 snack bars

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Serum PTH pg/ml

    Time frame: Participants will be followed for the duration of basic combat training or basic military training, which are 7-9 weeks

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Fort Sill
    Fort Sill, Oklahoma 73503, United States
  • Lackland Air Force Base
    San Antonio, Texas 78236, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Andersen NE, Karl JP, Cable SJ, Williams KW, Rood JC, Young AJ, Lieberman HR, McClung JP. Vitamin D status in female military personnel during combat training. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010 Dec 14;7:38. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-7-38. PubMed 21156069 ↗
  • Nakayama AT, Lutz LJ, Hruby A, Karl JP, McClung JP, Gaffney-Stomberg E. A dietary pattern rich in calcium, potassium, and protein is associated with tibia bone mineral content and strength in young adults entering initial military training. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019 Jan 1;109(1):186-196. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy199. PubMed 30615068 ↗
  • Lutz LJ, Gaffney-Stomberg E, Karl JP, Hughes JM, Guerriere KI, McClung JP. Dietary Intake in Relation to Military Dietary Reference Values During Army Basic Combat Training; a Multi-center, Cross-sectional Study. Mil Med. 2019 Mar 1;184(3-4):e223-e230. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usy153. PubMed 29982620 ↗
  • Gaffney-Stomberg E, Lutz LJ, Rood JC, Cable SJ, Pasiakos SM, Young AJ, McClung JP. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation maintains parathyroid hormone and improves bone density during initial military training: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. Bone. 2014 Nov;68:46-56. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2014.08.002. Epub 2014 Aug 10. PubMed 25118085 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Oct 11, 2018, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01617109
Lead sponsor
United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jun 12, 2012
Start date
Jun 2012
Primary completion
Jan 2014
Completion
May 2, 2018
Last update
Oct 11, 2018

Study contacts

James P McClung, Ph.D.
principal investigator · US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2018. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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