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Cited by 180Vitamin D Research StudiesExercise and Physiological ResponsesNutrition and Health Studies

Vitamin D and the Athlete: Risks, Recommendations, and Benefits

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Ogan, Dana, Pritchett, Kelly·2013·Nutrients
DOI 10.3390/nu5061856PMC PMC3725481
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Abstract

Vitamin D is well known for its role in calcium regulation and bone health, but emerging literature tells of vitamin D’s central role in other vital body processes, such as: signaling gene response, protein synthesis, hormone synthesis, immune response, plus, cell turnover and regeneration. The discovery of the vitamin D receptor within the muscle suggested a significant role for vitamin D in muscle tissue function. This discovery led researchers to question the impact that vitamin D deficiency could have on athletic performance and injury. With over 77% of the general population considered vitamin D insufficient, it’s likely that many athletes fall into the same category. Research has suggested vitamin D to have a significant effect on muscle weakness, pain, balance, and fractures in the aging population; still, the athletic population is yet to be fully examined. There are few studies to date that have examined the relationship between vitamin D status and performance, therefore, this review will focus on the bodily roles of vitamin D, recommended 25(OH)D levels, vitamin D intake guidelines and risk factors for vitamin D insufficiency in athletes. In addition, the preliminary findings regarding vitamin D’s impact on athletic performance will be examined.

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  • Intensive training and matches are conducive to the occurrence of stress, both physical and mental.

    “Such conditions are undoubtedly conducive to the occurrence of stress, both physical and mental, resulting from training and competition [42,43].”

    From Influence of Sunlight and Oral D3 Supplementation on Serum 25(OH)D Concentration and Exercise Performance in Elite Soccer Players (2020) · cites this paper as [43]

    Section 6, “Vitamin D and Athletic Performance” (page unavailable), says athletes’ high levels of physical activity may increase physiological demands, lending limited support to the physical-stress part of the claim. It does not address mental stress or say that training and competition cause both kinds of stress. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Vitamin D signals the expression of the size of myotubes to make them larger, and as a result, muscle strength increases.

    “Vitamin D signals the expression of the size of myotubes to make them larger, and as a result, muscle strength increases [32,43].”

    From Influence of Sunlight and Oral D3 Supplementation on Serum 25(OH)D Concentration and Exercise Performance in Elite Soccer Players (2020) · cites this paper as [43]

    Section 3, “Vitamin D and Muscle Tissue” (page unavailable), suggests that vitamin D supplementation may improve strength in people with low vitamin D status, possibly through increased size and number of type II muscle fibers. It does not describe enlarged myotubes or establish that this mechanism causes strength to increase; the citing sentence states the proposed relationship as fact. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Research works printed but not linked: 38

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Authors
Ogan, D., & Pritchett, K.
Affiliations
Central Washington University (US)
Corresponding author
Ogan, Dana
ORCID
Pritchett, Kelly
Venue
Nutrients
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2013-05-28
Volume
5
Issue
6
Pages
1856-1868
ISSN
2072-6643 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/nu5061856
PMC
PMC3725481
OpenAlex
W2149091802
Cited by
180
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 1
FWCI
1.51
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nutrients (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ScholarWorks (Central Washington University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Vitamin D Research Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutrition and Health Studies
Keywords
vitamin D, athletes, vitamin D deficiency, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, athletic performance, muscle function, vitamin D receptor, bone health, calcium regulation, injury risk, risk factors
MeSH terms
Bone and Bones, Calcium, Dietary, Female, Humans, Male, Risk Factors, Vitamin D, Vitamin D Deficiency, Prevalence, Muscle, Skeletal, Dietary Supplements, Athletic Performance, Athletes, Recommended Dietary Allowances

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