Calcium, vitamin D cut stress fractures  

MAHA, 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 of Creighton University. "Frankly, we were not sure we would see any statistically significant results in only eight weeks."

The study, funded by the Department of Defense, was presented recently at the Orthopaedic Research Society's annual meeting in San Diego.

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