Elite sports teams adding 5,000 IU of vitamin D weekly did not see much benefit (no surprise)

Vitamin D Status in Spanish Elite Team Sport Players

Nutrients 2021, 13(4), 1311; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041311

by Jara Valtueña 1,Raquel Aparicio-Ugarriza 1,3OrcID,Daniel Medina 2,Antonia Lizarraga 2,Gil Rodas 2OrcID,Marcela González-Gross 1,3,*,†OrcID andFranchek Drobnic 2,4,†

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Low vitamin D is usual; however, data are limited for elite team players. The aim was to investigate the vitamin D levels in Football Club Barcelona (FCB) first division players of six sport modalities. Ninety-five elite male players (27.3 ± 4.6 y) belonging to FCB provided data for vitamin D throughout a season. In this study, 25(OH)D was measured in serum by chemiluminescent immunoassay. Outdoor/indoor training and supplementation were also considered. Total mean 25(OH)D concentrations were 91.9 ± 23.1 nmol/L in all players, with higher mean levels among supplemented players (94.7 ± 24.3 nmol/L). Around 25% of the team players were below optimal levels (<75 nmol/L), but none were below 50 nmol/L. Caucasian, supplemented football and handball players had the highest mean vitamin D concentrations over the whole year, whereas basketball players (indoor training) had the lowest ones. The highest rate of vitamin D insufficiency was found in spring (40%). A positive significant effect was observed for the interaction between indoor/outdoor training and supplementation with 25(OH)D concentrations (p < 0.05). Those team players training outdoors with supplementation had higher total vitamin D concentrations than those with indoors training and/or supplementation. A positive interaction of outdoor training with supplementation exists to determine 25(OH)D concentrations in team players.

Clipped from the PDF

“Our supplemented team players took 5000 IU per week.”

      Note: Teams getting benefits often take 5X to 10X larger doses