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Studies show Vitamin D deficiency in athletes
Recent studies show that athletes have insufficient Vitamin D levels, and this has implications for the broader public, according to a recent New York Times article.
Athletes Affected
A study of female gymnasts at the Australia Institute of Sport tested 18 athletes, and of those 15 had Vitamin D levels "below recommended guidelines for optimal health" and 6 of those had levels that were medically deficient, according to the article.
Another study of long distance runners who train outside in sunny Baton Rouge, LA, found that 40% had insufficient levels of Vitamin D, said the Times.
Children not getting enough
A growing body of research shows that most people, including children, are not getting enough Vitamin D, said the article. A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics said 60% of American children or 51 million kids have insufficient levels of Vitamin D, while 9% of 7.6 million are clinically deficient, which is a serious condition, said the Times. Cases of childhood rickets, a bone disease caused by a lack of Vitamin D have risen recently, said the article.
Scientists thought Vitamin D was mostly used for bone development, but recent research indicates it is vital in a number of bodily functions, including allowing cells to utilize calcium, muscle fibers to development and grow normally, and helping the immune system to function, said the Times.
New research shows
At the same time scientists are learning what Vitamin D does for the body, people and children are getting less Vitamin D from food and the sun, according to the article. Most people are reducing the time they spend in the sun or using sunscreen, which reduces the amount of sunlight they absorb; and a glass of milk only provides a small fraction of what the body needs, said the Times.
New recommendations
According to the National Institute of Health children and teens need three cups of milk or 900 mga day PLUS an additional 1300 mg of calcium from calcium rich foods for good bone development. In addition, NIH says most parents don't even realize that children and teens need twice as much calcium as children younger than age 9.
One of the authors of the athlete study, D. Enette Larson-Meyer, said that people can do a simple blood test to find out their Vitamin D level—they should check the level of 25(OH)D in their blood and the level should be 50 nanograms per milliliter, according to the Times. A version of the blood test is available from the Vitamin D Council website.
Laron-Meyer suggested that most people who need a supplement should take 1000 IU of Vitamin D a day, which is actually double the current recommended daily allowance, said the article. Larson-Meyer said that most experts anticipate that this allowance will increase very soon, but also cautioned people to check with their doctors before taking a Vitamin D supplement, said the Times.
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