Vitamin D and the Athlete

02.11.12

With the dark nights drawing in and the clocks having changed at the end of October, adequate sun exposure becomes difficult to obtain.

And in the winter months especially, individuals can struggle to gain sufficient Vitamin D.

This means the risk of deficiency is heightened as people have less opportunity to be exposed to UV rays, and are likely to stay indoors more often and cover up due to the weather conditions.

Due to the location of the UK, sun exposure is a challenge in the winter, meaning supplementation of vitamin D is often required.

"To gain sufficient Vitamin D in winter we must make a change as dietary sources alone are not adequate," explains English Institute of Sport (EIS) Performance Nutritionist Emma Gardner.

"Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which can be obtained by one of 3 ways; exposure to the UV rays in sunlight, selected foods or through a supplement.

"Vitamin D has an important role in bone, muscle function, cell growth, immune function and inflammation. Vitamin D is of particular interest to athletes as it impacts on muscle protein synthesis, inflammation, recovery, immune system health and bone density defence.

"There is a vast amount of research on Vitamin D and growing evidence of low Vitamin D status in the general population worldwide, even those in hot countries," she added.

Elite athletes need to be assessed for their status, particularly those who fall into any of the categories below:

Athletes at risk of having insufficient levels of Vitamin D include those who:

o             Regularly train indoors
o             Train early in the morning or late in the evening
o             Where protective clothing that covers the majority of the body
o             Have dark skin pigmentation
o             Regularly use sunscreen or consciously avoid the sun
o             Have a history of bone injury/disorders
o             Are missing limbs (i.e. disability athletes with reduced exposure)
o             Live at latitudes >35° north or south of the equator

Here are Emma’s top 5 foods rich in Vitamin D perfect for additional supplementation over the forthcoming winter months.

Top 5 Vitamin D foods:

•              Oily fish (including mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna)
•              Cod liver oil
•              Liver
•              Eggs (Yolk)
•              Fortified foods including breakfast cereals, margarine, orange juice and milk

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