The claim that vitamin D can really bring some changes on an athlete’s performance, has been made frequently over these last years. But, is this true? There are some studies made regarding this subject which indicate that optimal levels of vitamin D can enhance physical performance. Also, it brings some additional health benefits that are essential to everyone’s wellbeing. According to some other studies, more than three quarters of adults in the United States, are vitamin D deficient. Also is shown that more than 70% of athletes have a low vitamin D levels too.
Knowing these facts, should make every runner think twice before deciding where to average those miles. Since our body is unable to produce this vitamin, the only way to take sufficient amount of it, is from other sources. Find below how can vitamin D work on your endurance sports performance and make you a better athlete. Also, you can find some efficient habits to practice in order to supply your system with the necessary amount of this important vitamin.
How can vitamin D work on sport’s people?
Seeing vitamin D from a training perspective, it is proved to bring some quite strong and essential benefits especially related to bone and muscle’s health issues. One of the most important roles this vitamin plays in your body, is the help it gives to make it better absorb the calcium from food. Vitamin D also decreases the risk of every kind of future stress fractures commonly caused at runners and other endurance sport’s fans.
When counting the number of benefits vitamin D has the potential to bring, there are also some other key reasons why this vitamin, from now on, should be taken more seriously. Here they are:
– Vitamin D is proved to be a necessity for the nerves to be able to carry the messages between our body parts and brain.
– Vitamin D gives a major help in our immune system’s function. It helps it be stronger and more efficient.
– It has also proved to own some great anti-inflammatory benefits. This by drastically increasing our system’s response especially on people who suffer by chronic inflammatory diseases.
– Regarding muscles, vitamin D is also able to activate certain essential enzymes that are involved in muscle function and stimulation
Where can you get vitamin D?
There are two most natural and important ways to get the necessary vitamin D. It can be obtained by specific foods we eat. Also, it can be synthesized by our bodies through sun exposure. Since this vitamin is one of four fat-soluble vitamins, such are A, E, and K, they need adequate dietary fats in order to be absorbed. That is why, foods that contain fat, may also contain vitamin D. For example: salmon, tuna, egg yolks, cheese etc.
Also, you can get this vitamin through exposure to sun. It is estimated that normally, a person needs around 20 minutes to meet all the sufficient daily needs. Keep in mind that indoor sun exposure cannot make your body produce this vitamin. So, you need to really go out and let it do the work.
But, since there are many weather conditions that make people unable to get all the necessary vitamin D, there must be another efficient way to get it without needed to be sun exposed. Short winter days, clouds, and many other factors, have made science produce this vitamin in a supplement form. This brings us to the third and final way to get the vitamin D. For athletes specially the ones who cannot take this vitamin through natural ways, experts recommend to take it through supplements, often combined with calcium.
