Why Getting Plenty of Vitamin D Is Vital for Hurdlers
by Melinda Burris

With the onset of winter and the days getting shorter, hurdlers and other high-endurance athletes must ensure they continue to get enough sunlight, food sources rich in vitamin D, and/or supplementation if necessary. This article discusses why adequate vitamin D stores are crucial for maintaining good bone health and promoting rapid recovery times following injuries.

No matter how cautious an athlete is, even if they take all possible measures to prevent injuries, the fact that athletes repeatedly ask so much of their bodies in training and competition means that injuries are bound to occur from time to time.

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In an article investigating the role nutrition plays when it comes to injury prevention and treatment for track and field athletes published in a 2019 issue of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, Close et al. point out that, “As many as one in 12 athletes incur an injury during international competitions, many of which result in time lost from training and competition.”¹

As the writers further explain,  “Injuries to skeletal muscle account for over 40% of all injuries, with the lower leg being the predominant site of injury.”¹ Research and statistics have consistently shown that skeletal muscle injuries are common. Sprained ligaments, strained tendons or muscles, and stress fractures are some of the most frequently reported injuries.¹

So, why is there an emphasis on nutrition, and specifically maintaining adequate vitamin D levels, for athletes? One reason is that research demonstrates that insufficient vitamin D in the body is a contributing factor to fatigue, often referred to in sports as “low energy availability.”¹ Hurdlers and other athletes participating in high-impact activities, including jumping, need high levels of energy to perform.

All athletes, as well as serious exercise enthusiasts, are naturally concerned with reducing the risk of injury because not only does the damage cause pain, but there is also concern over how long recovery times will be, as prolonged injury interferes with continued competition and can have long-term health effects.¹ Therefore, the emphasis placed on injury prevention and rapid recovery rates is understandable.

Although Close et al. concede these points, they also acknowledge that there have been few research studies focused solely on how diet and nutrition affect the prevention or recovery of skeletal muscle injuries. As a result, the researchers who conducted this study based many of their core findings on what is known from numerous scientific studies that have been done and documented on the impact of diet and nutrition on general bone health.¹

Research studies on the subject have been a focus for the scientific community for decades, with experts agreeing that vitamin D is one of the key nutrients necessary for good bone health. (Adequate intake of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and protein has also been established to be vital.)¹

Vitamin D Deficiency is Not Rare

While scientific studies have consistently found that athletes are often at risk for vitamin D deficiency, particularly those who participate in indoor sports, limiting their exposure to sunlight, it has also been established that low vitamin D levels are common among adults in the general population in the United States. Credible sources, including the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, report that “20% of all adults take a dietary supplement containing vitamin D.”²

A lack of proper vitamin D stores can have serious health repercussions in any individual, but athletes need to be more keenly aware of this, as “evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiencies can impair muscle regeneration following damaging exercise…”¹

The Elevated Nutritional Needs for Athletes

Researchers stress the need for more scientific studies involving elite athletes to shed more light on this subject. However, as they point out, this is challenging to achieve because professional athletes are always seeking any advantage that will give them an edge in competition. Taking the risk of possibly being placed in the placebo control group of a study that could expose participants receiving the treatment being tested to benefits that would result in improved outcomes is a chance few athletes are eager or even willing to take.¹

Another impediment to advancing evidence-based studies on the subject is the accepted fact that the cause and effects of injuries, as well as the rate at which they progress and heal, vary based on the individual and their physical condition prior to the injury.¹

A 2021 systematic review performed by Yoon et al. concentrated on previous studies and their findings on how vitamin D affected physical performance, any evidence suggesting a link between vitamin D levels and the risk and recovery of musculoskeletal injuries, and addressed the assessment of serum vitamin D levels and offered recommendations for vitamin D supplementation when deemed necessary.³

This study identified numerous previous studies that supported the assertion by Close et al. that athletes are prone to developing vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency. This problem was more likely to occur during the winter months for athletes in general, and indoor athletes were found to be at a higher risk of having low vitamin D levels than their counterparts whose sport of choice was performed outdoors.³

Because vitamin D deficiency has been shown to diminish key qualities elite athletes depend upon, including power, strength, and endurance, as well as the increased potential of sustaining musculoskeletal injuries, along with a propensity to experience high levels of inflammation when participating in movements that require high-intensity, vitamin D intake and levels should be regularly monitored and assessed by a healthcare provider.³

Although the study conducted by Close et al. emphasized that nutritional deficiencies “should be explored in a ‘food first’ manner, rather than relying on supplements” whenever possible¹ experts agree that increasing your vitamin D levels through food consumption is difficult because “Despite fortification of commonly consumed products such as milk, food sources of vitamin D are few, and even the richest sources consumed in manageable portions provide only a small percentage of the recommended daily intake.”²

Athletes suffering from vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency can benefit from the use of vitamin D3 supplementation. However, the dosage (usually 2000–5000 IU per day) should be discussed with and approved by a healthcare professional.¹ The reasons for this are twofold:

1. A physical examination may reveal an underlying disease state that can cause low vitamin D levels. When you know the root cause of a condition, you are more likely to be able to treat it successfully.
2. There are concerns about taking supplements, as it is a billion-dollar industry that is not governed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).^1,2

Experts have also expressed concerns about the absorption and synthesis of vitamin D3 (the supplemental form of vitamin D) by the body. Although it can be challenging to get enough natural sunlight in the winter months, when the days are shorter and the weather is often inclement, do your best to take advantage of sunny days.

References:

1. Close, Graeme L., et al. 2019. Nutrition for the Prevention and Treatment of Injuries in Track and Field Athletes.
2. Williams, S.E. March 2022. Vitamin D Supplementation: Pearls for Practicing Clinicians.
3. Yoon S. et al. 25 June 2021. Vitamin D in Athletes: Focus on Physical Performance and Musculoskeletal Injuries.

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