Vitamin D for immune support in runners ☀️
A vital strategy for Autumn and Winter.
Effects of vitamin D supplementation during autumn and winter on blood biomarkers and physical performance in runners and non runners
Study Details
This new study investigated the effects of vitamin D supplementation (2000 IU/day) across autumn and winter (8-weeks) in runners and non-runners 🔍
45 participants were recruited and split into 4 groups…
1️⃣ Supplemented runners
2️⃣ Non-supplemented runners
3️⃣ Supplemented non-runners
4️⃣ Non-supplemented non-runners
Assessments were conducted pre-intervention (October), post-intervention (December), and 12-weeks post-supplementation (March) 🗓️
Key Findings
💊 Supplementation significantly elevated serum vitamin D levels in both runners and non-runners
🚨 Non-supplemented participants showed a marked decline
At the 12-week follow-up all participants showed significantly decreased vitamin D levels ‼️
During the intervention, supplementation was associated with improved total leukocyte and neutrophil counts 🦠
(indicating more stable immune profiles)
There was also a trend towards improved maximal isometric force in supplemented subjects 📈
But no significant performance differences were observed ❌
Conclusion
Vitamin D supplementation is a key strategy for supporting immunity across autumn and winter months in athletes and non-athletes 🛡️
Just because performance isn’t directly affected, doesn’t mean this isn’t a beneficial strategy for maintaining training availability ✅
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41720868/
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