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Review
. 2024 Jan 3;12(1):23259671231220371.
doi: 10.1177/23259671231220371. eCollection 2024 Jan.

Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation in Elite Athletes: A Systematic Review

Phillip B Wyatt  1 , Charles R Reiter  1 , James R Satalich  2 , Conor N O'Neill  2 , Carl Edge  1 , John W Cyrus  1 , Robert S O'Connell  2 , Alexander R Vap  2
Affiliations
Review

Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation in Elite Athletes: A Systematic Review

Phillip B Wyatt et al. Orthop J Sports Med. .

Abstract

Background: Deficiency in vitamin D has been shown to increase the risk of injury.

Purpose: To synthesize current placebo-controlled randomized trials investigating the effect of vitamin D supplementation in elite athletes on (1) aerobic capacity; (2) anaerobic measures, such as strength, speed, and anaerobic power; (3) serum biomarkers of inflammation; and (4) bone health.

Study design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods: A literature search was conducted on November 30, 2022, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Included were randomized, placebo-controlled studies of longer than 2 weeks on subjects with active participation in organized sport. Excluded were nonrandomized controlled trial study designs, vitamin D administration routes other than oral, studies that did not use vitamin D supplementation as the sole intervention, and studies with nonathletic or military populations.

Results: Out of 2331 initial studies, 14 studies (482 athletes) were included. Of the 3 studies that assessed aerobic capacity, 2 demonstrated significantly greater improvements in maximal oxygen uptake and physical working capacity-170 (P < .05) in supplemented versus nonsupplemented athletes. Measurements of anaerobic power and strength were consistently increased in supplemented groups compared with nonsupplemented groups in 5 out of the 7 studies that assessed this. Of the 6 studies that assessed sprint speed, 4 found no significant difference between supplemented and nonsupplemented groups. Aside from 1 study that found significantly lower interleukin-6 levels in supplemented athletes, measures of other inflammatory cytokines were not affected consistently by supplementation. The 4 studies that assessed markers of bone health were conflicting regarding benefits of supplementation. One study found demonstrated improvements in bone mineral density in response to supplementation (P = .02) compared with control whereas another found no significant difference between supplemented and nonsupplemented groups. However, in 3 other studies, serum biomarkers of bone turnover such as bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone, and N-terminal telopeptide appeared to be higher in subjects with lower serum vitamin D levels (P < .05).

Conclusion: Results of this systematic review indicated that the greatest benefit of vitamin D supplementation in elite athletes may be improving aerobic endurance, anaerobic power, and strength. More research is needed to determine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on bone health and injury risk in this population.

Keywords: athletics; cholecalciferol; sport; vitamin D; vitamin D deficiency.

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Conflict of interest statement

One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: J.R.S. has received education payments from Fortis Surgical. C.N.O. has received education payments from Fortis Surgical. R.S.O. has received a grant from Arthrex and education payments from Arthrex, Fortis Surgical, Smith & Nephew, and Alon Medical Technology. A.R.V. has received education payments from Supreme Orthopedic Systems and hospitality payments from Smith & Nephew and Arthrex. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA flow diagram of study inclusion in the review. PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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