Nutrients. 2016 Aug 9;8(8). pii: E485. doi: 10.3390/nu8080485.
Todd J1, Madigan S2, Pourshahidi K3, McSorley E4, Laird E5, Healy M6, Magee P7.
Elite Irish Athletes appear to be supplementing with Vitamin D
- <20 nanograms of vitamin D: 55% in 2010, but only 14% in 2014
- Equatorial travel and sun bed use was NOT associated with higher levels of vitamin D
- Athletes who supplemented were 4 times more likely to have higher vitamin D levels
See also VitaminDWiki
- 5,000 IU daily was just enough vitamin D for Irish athletes in the winter – March 2013
- Elite Athletes Try a New Training Tactic: More Vitamin D - WSJ Jan 2016
- Vitamin D supplementation in Ireland - big increase in people with 20-50 nanograms in 20 years – June 2015
- Vitamin D in US children: those having more than 40 ng increased 60 percent (2001-2010) - Dec 2016
- Vitamin D levels in US: percent having more than 40 ng doubled (2001-2010) - Dec 2016
- 4 times fewer with vitamin D deficiency in just 4 years ( Connecticut) – March 2016
Overview Sports and vitamin D has the following summary
Athletes are helped by vitamin D by:
- Faster reaction time
- Far fewer colds/flus during the winter
- Less sore/tired after a workout
- Fewer micro-cracks and broken bones
- Bones which do break heal much more quickly
- Increased VO2 and exercise endurance Feb 2011
- Indoor athletes especially need vitamin D
- Professional indoor athletes are starting to supplement with vitamin D or use vitamin D beds
- Olympic athletes have used UV/vitamin D since the 1930's
- The biggest gain from the use of vitamin D is by those who exercise less than 2 hours per day.
- Reduced muscle fatigue with 10,000 IU vitamin D daily
- Muscle strength improved when vitamin D added: 3 Meta-analysis
- Reduced Concussions
See also: Sports and Vitamin D category
Vitamin D deficiency is a global health concern that is prevalent in Ireland. The vitamin D status of elite Irish athletes following implementation of a revised supplementation policy in 2010/2011 has not been explored to date. This study aimed to assess the vitamin D status of elite Irish athletes participating in high-profile sports and establish if equatorial travel, supplementation and/or sunbed use predict vitamin D status. Across Ireland, blood samples (n = 92) were obtained from cricketers (n = 28), boxers (n = 21) and women's rugby sevens players (n = 43) between November 2013 and April 2015. Total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations were quantified using LC-MS/MS. Parathyroid hormone and adjusted calcium concentrations were measured by clinical biochemistry. Athletes completed a questionnaire that queried equatorial travel, supplementation and sunbed use. Vitamin D sufficiency (25(OH)D >50 nmol/L) was evident in 86% of athletes. Insufficiency (31-49 nmol/L) and deficiency (<30 nmol/L) was present in only 12% and 2% of athletes respectively.
On average, athletes from all sport disciplines were vitamin D sufficient and 25% reported vitamin D supplementation which was a significant positive predictor of vitamin D status, (OR 4.31; 95% CI 1.18-15.75; p = 0.027).
Equatorial travel and sun bed use were reported in 47% and 16% of athletes respectively however these factors did not predict vitamin D status (both p > 0.05).
Although different cohorts were assessed, the overall prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency was 55% in 2010/2011 compared with only 14% in 2013/2015. Targeted supplementation is highly effective in optimising vitamin D status, negating the need for blanket-supplementation in elite cohorts.
PMID: 27517954 PMCID: PMC4997398 DOI: 10.3390/nu8080485Recent increase in Vitamin D levels in Elite Irish Athletes – Aug 2016
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