Spanish Footballers need Vitamin D too

17th August 2012

There is growing awareness that vitamin D sufficiency is required for overall optimal health. Most experts agree that 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of at least 75 nmol/L, as sufficient vitamin D status. The authors of a study published in Clinical Nutrition used a group of Spanish professional footballers to investigate how much vitamin D is needed to get through the winter months i.e. the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration required in mid-October to ensure vitamin D sufficiency in early February, and to assess the rate of vitamin D insufficiency in both seasons.

Despite the homogeneity in sunlight exposure and vitamin D intake, few of the football players reached the level ensuring vitamin D sufficiency in mid-winter, and two thirds had vitamin D insufficiency in early February. The researchers found that a serum25-hydroxyvitaminD concentration of 122.7 nmol/L was required; 14.3% of the footballers reached this level. Ninety-three percent had levels ?75 nmol/L in mid-October, and 64% had levels <75 nmol/l in early February.

Given the findings, it would be advisable to assess the vitamin D levels in early autumn and to supplement Vitamin D throughout the winter months.
 
Galan F et al. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in early autumn to ensure vitamin D sufficiency in mid-winter in professional football players.
Clinical Nutrition, 2012: 31 (1): 32-136.

Categories: Nutritional News, Sport & Exercise