Research

Micronutrients & recovery

Vitamin D supplementation in vitamin D-deficient athletes improves muscle strength, power, and recovery, and reduces injury rates.

If you are an athlete, get your Vitamin D levels tested, especially if you train indoors or live in northern latitudes. If you are deficient, supplementation has been shown to improve muscle strength and reduce injuries. Do not assume you have enough just because you are healthy.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
In relation to VITD supplementation in athletes with deficiency, several studies have shown that this increases muscle strength. Higher serum levels of vitamin D are associated with reduced injury rates and better sports performance.
Mirian de la Puente Yagüe et al. · Nutrients · 2020

Why this rating

The paper is a review citing multiple studies, but notes conflicting results and lack of precise thresholds for athletes.

Source

Role of Vitamin D in Athletes and Their Performance: Current Concepts and New Trends

Mirian de la Puente Yagüe et al. · Nutrients · 2020

narrative_reviewCited 167×
Read the paper

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →