NORTH-EAST medics are advising people to grab any sunshine they can this weekend as their reserves of Vitamin D are going to be depleted.

Most people living north of Manchester would be highly likely to be considered deficient - which can cause muscle problems.

Vitamin D is vital for making muscles work efficiently and boosting energy levels, new research from Newcastle University has shown. A study led by Dr Akash Sinha has shown that muscle function improves with Vitamin D supplements, which are thought to enhance the activity of the mitochondria, the batteries of the cell.

A hormone normally produced in the skin using energy from sunlight, Vitamin D can also be found in a few foods - including fish, fish liver oils, egg yolks and fortified cereals but it can also be effectively boosted with Vitamin D supplements.

It is thought around 60 per cent of people in the UK are vitamin D deficient, with children under five, people with dark skin and the elderly being particularly vulnerable.

The researchers used non-invasive magnetic resonance scans to measure the response to exercise in 12 patients with severe deficiency before and after treatment with vitamin D.

Lead author Dr Akash Sinha, who also works for the Newcastle Hospitals Trust, said: "We found that those with very low vitamin D levels improved their muscle efficiency significantly when their vitamin D levels were improved."