Data from the 12-week TAKEOVER study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, evaluated vitamin K2 MK-7 supplementation using Balchem’s K2VITAL ingredient in healthy adults aged 18–40 and 65 and older following muscle-damaging resistance exercise.
Across the full cohort, supplementation did not affect recovery outcomes.
“Vitamin K2 supplementation had no effect on muscle strength, physical function, muscle soreness, or inflammatory responses in the recovery period after a bout of resistance exercise,” the researchers reported.
However, in participants aged 65 and older, the results differed.
The study identified changes in neuromuscular measures, including electromechanical delay (EMD), which reflects the time between a neural signal and muscle contraction.
Interaction effects were also reported for biomarkers, including interleukin-6 and creatine kinase, although these were not consistent across all time points.
The observed differences relate to neuromuscular signaling rather than traditional recovery outcomes such as strength or soreness.
In the trial, this was assessed by measuring the time between the onset of a neural signal and the resulting contraction, with a shorter delay observed in older adults receiving vitamin K2.
Age split limits broader interpretation
The study compared younger adults aged 18–40 with those aged 65 and older, without including participants in the middle age range.
“It is possible to speculate on a few factors that might explain why effects were found in adults aged 65+ and not in the full cohort... in general, aging leads to lower muscle mass and strength, as well as a higher background inflammation when compared to younger adults,” Dominik Mattern, VP science, business development and marketing at Balchem Human Nutrition and Health, told NutraIngredients.
The biological mechanism underlying the observed effects has not been established. Vitamin K-dependent proteins involved in nervous system function have been suggested as a potential area for further study.
“A potential mechanism might be Gas6, which is a vitamin K-dependent protein closely associated with the nervous system,” Mattern said. “Gas6 acts as a ligand for the TAM tyrosine kinases receptor family, which can also be found in motor neurons and skeletal muscle fibers.”
Next steps
Balchem, which supplied the vitamin K2 ingredient used in the study, has pointed to neuromuscular signaling as an area for further research.
“The TAKEOVER study adds a functional dimension, showing that vitamin K2 MK-7 may influence neuromuscular signaling, muscle activation efficiency and post-exercise recovery processes,” Mattern said.
“This shifts K2 from being perceived only as a ‘maintenance nutrient,’ suggesting it could also be a performance-relevant micronutrient with an additional healthy aging function, particularly in older populations,” he added.
The authors emphasized that the findings are based on age-specific interactions. “Effects of supplementation were observed on EMD, RMS, IL-6, and CK by age and warrant further investigation,” the researchers reported.
Further studies will be needed to determine whether these findings can be replicated and to clarify their relevance across broader populations. Specifically, “future research should aim to also include the important 40–65 age cohort," said Mattern.
Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003901 “The Effects of Vitamin K2 on Recovery from Muscle-Damaging Resistance Exercise in Young and Older Adults: The TAKEOVER Randomized Controlled Trial.” Authors: H. Lithgow, et al.
