Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on 25(OH)D Status in Elite Athletes With Spinal Cord Injury
Document Type
Article
Department or Administrative Unit
Nutrition Exercise and Health Sciences
Publication Date
1-2019
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that a substantial proportion of athletes with spinal cord injury have insufficient 25(OH) vitamin D (25(OH)D) status, which may be associated with decreased muscle strength. This study consisted of two parts: (a) to examine the effects of a 12- to 16-week vitamin D3 supplementation protocol on 25(OH)D concentration and (b) to determine whether subsequent 25(OH)D status impacts muscle performance in elite athletes with spinal cord injury. Thirty-four members (age: 33 ± 15 years, weight: 69.6 ± 28.2 kg, and height: 170.2 ± 25.4 cm) of the U.S. and Canadian Paralympic program participated in the study. 25(OH)D concentrations and performance measures (handgrip strength and 20-m wheelchair sprint) were assessed pre- and postsupplementation. Participants were assigned a vitamin D3 supplementation protocol based on initial 25(OH)D concentrations. Participants with deficient 25(OH)D status (/L) received 50,000 IU/week for 8 weeks, and participants with insufficient status (50–75 nmol/L) received 35,000 IU/week for 4 weeks, after which both received a maintenance dose of 15,000 IU/week. Participants with sufficient status (>75 nmol/L) received the maintenance dose of 15,000 IU/week. 25(OH)D concentrations increased significantly (p < .001; 66.3 ± 24.3 nmol/L and 111.3 ± 30.8 nmol/L pre- and postsupplementation, respectively). About 26% of athletes had sufficient 25(OH)D concentrations presupplementation, and 91% had sufficient concentrations postsupplementation. About 62% of participants improved handgrip strength postsupplementation with no change in 20-m wheelchair sprint performance. The supplementation protocol was effective for achieving sufficient vitamin D concentrations in elite athletes with spinal cord injury.
Recommended Citation
Pritchett, K., Pritchett, R. C., Stark, L., Broad, E., & LaCroix, M. (2019). Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on 25(OH)D Status in Elite Athletes With Spinal Cord Injury. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 29(1), 18–23. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0233
Journal
International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
Rights
© 2019 Human Kinetics, Inc.
Comments
This article was originally published in International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. The full-text article from the publisher can be found here.
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