25-hydroxyvitamin D: Vitamin D: Muscle performance: FallsAging is accompanied by loss of muscle mass. Each decade, older women lose an average of 0 . 6 kg lean tissue mass and men lose 1 . 6 kg (1) . Loss of muscle mass results in reduced muscle strength and this, in turn, leads to an increased risk of falling. The term sarcopenia was coined in 1989 by Rosenberg to describe the decline in muscle mass that occurs with aging (2) . Nine years later, Baumgartner operationalised the term to: appendicular skeletal muscle mass (muscle weight (kg)/height 2 (m 2 ) being less than 2 SD below the mean of a young, same-sex reference group (3) . By this definition, the prevalence of sarcopenia increased from 13 to 24% in persons under the age of 70 years to over 50% in persons over the age of 80 years (3) . Moreover, he documented the fact that sarcopenia was significantly associated with self-reported physical disability in both men and women, independent of ethnicity, age, morbidity, obesity, income and health behaviours. This study was influential in drawing attention to the extent of the problem and to its ramifications. More recently, a variety of definitions have been proposed but no one is used by all.Exercise has well-established powerful trophic effects on muscle mass and function. Low intensity selfadministered home-based exercise programmes have lowered risk of falling in elders (4,5) and should always be encouraged. The focus of this paper, however, is on whether vitamin D status affects muscle performance and risk of falling and whether supplementing current intakes of vitamin D may improve muscle performance and lower risk of falling.