Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be found in sunlight, egg yolks, fatty fish (salmon, sardines, and mackerel), mushrooms, a few types of cheese, and fortified foods (Zarei et al., 2021). According to the Office of Dietary Supplements Vitamin D, adequate dietary intake of Vitamin D for adults ages 19-50 years of age is 15 mcg (2017).  Extreme levels of Vitamin D (low or high) can negatively affect athletic performance and cause toxicity while adequate levels can positively affect strength, power, endurance, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health (Yoon, 2021).

Weakness, pain, fatigue, loss of sleep and hair loss may indicate a deficit in Vitamin D levels. A deficiency in Vitamin D can cause immune dysfunction; osteoporosis, which increases risk of fractures; osteomalacia, softening of the bones in adults which leads to muscle weakness and bone pain; shortening of telomeres (Kuo et al., 2023); and hypertension (Sieglinde Zelzer et al., 2024). In an article on health aging, it was determined that Vitamin D plays an epigenetic role in antiaging.  People with low levels of Vitamin D in the blood chromosomally experience accelerating aging (<30-100ng/mL) than those with adequate levels (Mannino, 2020). Circumstances leading to possible depletion are limited sun exposure, malabsorption disorders, aging, higher melanin levels in skin, and obesity.

Excess intake of Vitamin D is also possible. Excess levels can cause toxicity in the forms of hypercalcemia, high levels of calcium in blood, causing weakness and kidney stones. In addition, excess can also cause calcification which are deposits of calcium that could potentially affect the kidneys and heart.

It is imperative for an athlete to maintain adequate levels of Vitamin D. According to de la Puente, a Vitamin D deficiency could negatively impact athletic performance and substantially shorten the lifespan of professional athletes (2020) thus it is now part of screening routines. There are several performance benefits with adequate intake of Vitamin D. Zelzer et al. (2024), suggests that appropriate levels of vitamin D can positively influence blood pressure and cardiovascular health. This is supported by studies demonstrating that vitamin D can help regulate blood pressure and reduce arterial stiffness. In addition to longevity and cardiovascular health, athletic performance is also enhanced with adequate levels of Vitamin D. It is advocated that vitamin D is advantageous for athletes as it increases: the synthesis of muscle proteins, muscle mass, the concentration of ATP, strength, jump height, jumping speed and power, recovery, as well as the capacity to conduct exercise and prevent muscle degeneration (Yoon, 2021). Physical performance could be significantly improved and/or preserved with adequate levels of vitamin D (de la Puente, 2020).

References:

Based on Vitamin D Metabolism: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Hypertensive Patients. Nutrients, 16(6), 839–839. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16060839

de la Puente Yagüe, M., Collado Yurrita, L., Ciudad Cabañas, M. J., & Cuadrado Cenzual, M. A. (2020). Role of Vitamin D in Athletes and Their Performance: Current Concepts and New Trends. Nutrients, 12(2), 579. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12020579

Johnson, B. (2022, August 26). Vitamin D: How does it impact sports performance? Science for Sport. https://www.scienceforsport.com/vitamin-d-athletic-performance/

Kuo, C.-L., Kirk, B., Xiang, M., Pilling, L. C., Kuchel, G. A., Kremer, R., & Duque, G. (2023). Very Low and High Levels of Vitamin D Are Associated with Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length in 148,321 UK Biobank Participants. Nutrients, 15(6), 1474. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15061474

Mannino, E. (2020, November 18). Does vitamin D affect your “biological age”? Center for Healthy Aging. https://www.research.colostate.edu/healthyagingcenter/2020/11/18/does-vitamin-d-affect-your-biological-age/National Institutes of Health. (2023, September 18). Vitamin D. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin D. (n.d.). Ods.od.nih.gov. Retrieved June 17, 2024, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/)

Sieglinde Zelzer, Meinitzer, A., Dietmar Enko, Keppel, M. H., Herrmann, M., Theiler-Schwetz, V., Trummer, C., Schmitt, L., Tomaschitz, A., Sadoghi, P., Dierkes, J., Pawel Pludowski, Armin Zittermann, Winfried März, & Pilz, S. (2024). Classification of Vitamin D Status Based on Vitamin D Metabolism: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Hypertensive Patients. Nutrients, 16(6), 839–839. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16060839