Vitamin D3-Less Injuries and More Strength?

Vitamin D3-Less Injuries and More Strength?

Pay attention to your Vitamin D.

It’s cheap and it needs to be consumed when fat is consumed as it helps to get Vitamin D3 absorbed. Think of taking it when there is fat in a meal like eggs. (I don’t suggest taking it in the evening as it may interfere with sleep.)

Why am I writing again about this?

• Helps with a reduction of injuries and pain in the muscles/joints. (1, 2)
• It can make you (3)  
• Helps recoverywhich also helps protect against injury. (4)
• Low Vitamin D3 is associated with more pain in the body. (5)

In summary, take Vitamin D3 to help with muscle strength, exercise recovery, potentially less body pain and may help lower the injury rate you experience.

(I have found that when pain is reduced, my clients do get stronger.)

How much Vitamin D3?

Ultimately, you adjust your supplement dose to have a blood number target. General suggestions are to take 2000-4000iu per day of Vitamin D3. Your doctor will consider your blood number “good” at 30ng/Ml.
You can make Vitamin D from the sun, but it is generally an inconsistent way to get your supplement.
Breaking 50ng/Ml is the better number in my opinion and I just happen to coincide with the opinion of the NIH. (6)
I personally have only reached a 50ng/Ml number by doing 5000iu per day of Vitamin D3.

References:

• Rebolledo BJ, Bernard JA, Werner BC, Finlay AK, Nwachukwu BU, Dare DM, Warren RF, Rodeo SA. The Association of Vitamin D Status in Lower Extremity Muscle Strains and Core Muscle Injuries at the National Football League Combine. Arthroscopy. 2018 Apr;34(4):1280-1285. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2017.10.005. Epub 2017 Dec 21. PMID: 29275983.
• Ammerman BM, Ling D, Callahan LR, Hannafin JA, Goolsby MA. Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency and Deficiency in Young, Female Patients With Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Complaints. Sports Health. 2021 Mar;13(2):173-180. doi: 10.1177/1941738120953414. Epub 2020 Dec 10. PMID: 33301353; PMCID: PMC8167354.
• Close, G. L., Russell, J., Cobley, J. N., Owens, D. J., Wilson, G., Gregson, W., … Morton, J. P. (2012). Assessment of vitamin D concentration in non-supplemented professional athletes and healthy adults during the winter months in the UK: implications for skeletal muscle function. Journal of Sports Sciences, 31(4), 344–353. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2012.733822
• Owens DJ, Allison R, Close GL. Vitamin D and the Athlete: Current Perspectives and New Challenges. Sports Med. 2018 Mar;48(Suppl 1):3-16. doi: 10.1007/s40279-017-0841-9. PMID: 29368183; PMCID: PMC5790847.
• Wu Z, Malihi Z, Stewart AW, Lawes CM, Scragg R. The association between vitamin D concentration and pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Public Health Nutr. 2018 Aug;21(11):2022-2037. doi: 10.1017/S1368980018000551. Epub 2018 Mar 21. PMID: 29559013; PMCID: PMC10260782.
• https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/