Abstract
ABSTRACTPurpose: 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) deficiency is associated with compromised bone mineralisation, fatigue, suppressed immune function and unsatisfactory skeletal muscle recovery. We investigated the risk of 25(OH)D insufficiency or deficiency in endurance athletes compared to sedentary non-athletes living at 64° north.Methods: University student-athletes (TS) and sedentary students (SS) volunteered to participate in this study. TS engaged in regular exercise while SS exercised no more than 20 minutes/week. Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) scores for participants were determined. Vitamin D intake was assessed using the National Cancer Institute’s 24-hour food recall (ASA24). Fasting plasma 25(OH)D levels were quantified via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: TS reported higher activity levels than SS as assessed with MET-minutes/week and ranking of physical activity levels (p < 0.05). The reported mean daily intake of vitamin D was higher in TS compared to SS (p < 0.05) while 25(OH)D plasma levels were lower in TS than in SS (p < 0.05). In total, 43.8% of the TS were either insufficient (31.3%) or deficient (12.5%) in 25(OH)D, while none of the SS were insufficient and 13.3% were deficient.Conclusion: TS are at increased risk of 25(OH)D insufficiency or deficiency compared to their sedentary counterparts residing at the same latitude, despite higher vitamin D intake.
Highlights
Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in adults and children has been described as endemic worldwide [1,2,3,4,5] and has been investigated extensively in the recent past
Our aim was to test the hypothesis that athletes living in Fairbanks, Alaska, at 64° north are at greater risk of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency as compared to their sedentary counterparts living at the same geographic location
There were no significant differences in height, weight or basal metabolic rate between the trained student-athletes (TS) and SS for either sex
Summary
Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in adults and children has been described as endemic worldwide [1,2,3,4,5] and has been investigated extensively in the recent past. One of the earliest scientifically identified roles of vitamin D supplementation is the regulation of proper cellular calcium function in the prevention and treatment of rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults [6,7]. In addition to these roles in mineral balance and bone metabolism, vitamin D has pleiotropic effects in many human cells [8]. While consensus has not been reached, recent evidence suggests that vitamin D may play a significant role in overall health in addition to bone strength and density. Further research is needed, researchers have demonstrated that vitamin D sufficiency is positively correlated with proper muscle function [4,14,15,16,17] and skeletal muscle recovery and regeneration [18], while deficiency is associated with muscle pain, weakness [1] and inadequate repair [18]
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