Vitamin D deficiency in athletes and how it impacts performance

When we plan a customized nutrition strategy for athlete’s goals and objectives, one of the first things we ask for is a blood test.

After analyzing thousands of blood test reports over the years during counseling sessions, I have observed one startling similarity that most young Indian athletes have Vitamin D deficiency.

Everyone knows that vitamin D is obtained mainly by sun exposure, the reason why it is also known as Sunshine vitamin.

But I had tennis players taking off their shirts and practice under the sun for 3 months. After 3 months, the Vitamin D level only improved by 2 points when we checked the blood report. Not enough to enhance athletic performance.

The Indian gene has dark skin, i.e., the melanin pigment is high, which shields the body from the sun, thereby affecting Vitamin D production. Hence, Indian athletes have low Vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D deficiency causes testosterone production to be reduced. Low testosterone levels can lead to an increase in body fat (ever notice why young Indian athlete kids are chubby during puberty years) and reduce muscle strength.

Vitamin D aids muscle recovery and shortens recovery time. Bone density is also linked to vitamin D. Stress fractures can occur in athletes as a result of an overload, but they can also occur as a result of a Vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D levels should be tested as part of the nutritional assessment as it will be beneficial for improving athletic performance through planned nutrition interventions.

Customized sports nutrition plan at QUA Nutrition includes an in-depth analysis of blood test and genetic test reports, identify deficiencies and problematic markers, strategies nutrition intervention to overcome the problem, and seamless integration of nutrition strategy into your routine.

To understand in detail how a customized sports nutrition plan at QUA Nutrition can help you enhance athletic performance, call us at +91-9743430000.

Ryan Fernando is an Award-winning celebrity Sports Nutritionist with 2GUINNESS world record and 2 Olympic medals under his belt. His client list include Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar, cricketer Shikhar Dhawan & bollywood superstars Aamir Khan & Abhishek Bachchan. He is Chief Nutritionist at QUA Nutrition Signature Clinics.