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. 2021 Apr 15;13(4):1311.
doi: 10.3390/nu13041311.

Vitamin D Status in Spanish Elite Team Sport Players

Jara Valtueña  1 , Raquel Aparicio-Ugarriza  1   2 , Daniel Medina  3 , Antonia Lizarraga  3 , Gil Rodas  3 , Marcela González-Gross  1   2 , Franchek Drobnic  3   4
Affiliations

Vitamin D Status in Spanish Elite Team Sport Players

Jara Valtueña et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Low vitamin D is usual; however, data are limited for elite team players. The aim was to investigate the vitamin D levels in Football Club Barcelona (FCB) first division players of six sport modalities. Ninety-five elite male players (27.3 ± 4.6 y) belonging to FCB provided data for vitamin D throughout a season. In this study, 25(OH)D was measured in serum by chemiluminescent immunoassay. Outdoor/indoor training and supplementation were also considered. Total mean 25(OH)D concentrations were 91.9 ± 23.1 nmol/L in all players, with higher mean levels among supplemented players (94.7 ± 24.3 nmol/L). Around 25% of the team players were below optimal levels (<75 nmol/L), but none were below 50 nmol/L. Caucasian, supplemented football and handball players had the highest mean vitamin D concentrations over the whole year, whereas basketball players (indoor training) had the lowest ones. The highest rate of vitamin D insufficiency was found in spring (40%). A positive significant effect was observed for the interaction between indoor/outdoor training and supplementation with 25(OH)D concentrations (p < 0.05). Those team players training outdoors with supplementation had higher total vitamin D concentrations than those with indoors training and/or supplementation. A positive interaction of outdoor training with supplementation exists to determine 25(OH)D concentrations in team players.

Keywords: 25(OH)D; elite players; supplementation; vitamin D deficiency.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean 25(OH)D concentrations of the whole year according to sport modality as mean ± standard error. * Football 2nd division, indoor football, and roller hockey (indoor) were fully supplemented during the whole year.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Differences in mean 25(OH)D concentrations (nmol/L) by season. Significant differences were set up as follows (a p < 0.05 and b p < 0.01).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean 25(OH)D concentrations according to indoor/outdoor training by season. a,b,c,d Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between autumn and the other seasons.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mean 25(OH)D concentrations according to sport modality by season. * Football 2nd division, indoor football, and roller hockey (indoor) were fully supplemented during the whole year (100% of the players).
Figure 5
Figure 5
25(OH)D concentrations (nmol/L) according to training place and supplementation. a Significant differences were set up for outdoor supplemented players (p < 0.05).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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