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Review
. 2020 Feb 23;12(2):579.
doi: 10.3390/nu12020579.

Role of Vitamin D in Athletes and Their Performance: Current Concepts and New Trends

Mirian de la Puente Yagüe  1 , Luis Collado Yurrita  2 , Maria J Ciudad Cabañas  2 , Marioa A Cuadrado Cenzual  2
Affiliations
Review

Role of Vitamin D in Athletes and Their Performance: Current Concepts and New Trends

Mirian de la Puente Yagüe et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

We are currently experiencing a vitamin D (VITD) deficiency pandemic across the world. Athletes have the same predisposition to low levels of vitamin D, the majority of its concentrations being below 20 ng/mL in a wide range of sports, especially in the winter months. Vitamin D is important in bone health, but recent research also points out its essential role in extraskeletal functions, including skeletal muscle growth, immune and cardiopulmonary functions and inflammatory modulation, which influence athletic performance. Vitamin D can also interact with extraskeletal tissues to modulate injury recovery and also influence the risk of infection. The data presented in this paper has triggered investigations in relation to the importance of maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D and to the possible positive influence supplementation has on immune and musculoskeletal functions in athletes, benefiting their performance and preventing future injuries. The objective of this review is to describe the latest research conducted on the epidemiology of vitamin D deficiency and its effects on sports performance and musculoskeletal health.

Keywords: 25(OH)D; athlete; athletic performance; deficiency; supplementation; vitamin D.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Vitamin D metabolism and its action in the body. Source of Figure 1: Mulligan, M.L.; Felton, S.K.; Riek, A.E.; Bernal - Mizrachi, C. Implications of vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy and lactation. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2010, 202 (5), 429 [14]. PTH (Parathyroid Hormone). DPB (Vitamin D-Binding Protein) DM (Diabetes Mellitus) SGA (Small for Gestational Age).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proposed model for effect of vitamin D on skeletal muscle. Circulating and locally converted 1,25(OH)2D3 have been proposed to act on skeletal muscle through the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The VDR is located both within the nucleus, which results in genomic actions, and outside of the nucleus, which may cause acute nongenomic signaling events.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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