Background: High rates of vitamin D deficiency have been reported in athletes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between vitamin D with bone health and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations in female runners who trained at 30.4° degrees north.

Methods: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D), PTH, body composition, and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured in 59 female runners, aged 18-40 years. Stress fracture history, training duration and frequency were evaluated by questionnaire. As per National Endocrine Society cut-offs, serum vitamin D ranges were: 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L for deficient; 50-75 nmol/L for insufficient; and ≥ 75 nmol/L for sufficient status.

Results: Mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations were 122.6 ± 63.9 nmol/L, with 18.6% of subjects in the deficient (5.1%) or insufficient (13.5%) range. No significant differences were observed between sufficient and deficient/insufficient subjects for BMD, PTH, history of stress fractures, or demographic data.

Conclusions: The majority of distance runners maintained sufficient vitamin D status, suggesting that training outdoors in latitude where vitamin D synthesis occurs year-round reduces the risk for vitamin D deficiency. Data do not support the indiscriminate supplementation of outdoor athletes in southern latitudes without prior screening.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2014-0177DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

distance runners
8
vitamin status
8
vitamin deficiency
8
female runners
8
vitamin
7
female distance
4
runners
4
runners training
4
training southeastern
4
southeastern united
4

Similar Publications

Background: Running-related overuse injuries are common among recreational runners; however, there is currently little prospective research investigating the role of running characteristics on overuse injury development.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between running characteristics and lower extremity musculoskeletal injury (MSKI).

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A Descriptive Analysis of the Seasonal Patterns of Bone Stress Injury Incidence in Division I Collegiate Distance Runners.

Am J Sports Med

January 2025

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.

Background: A bone stress injury (BSI) is a common overuse injury in collegiate athletes, particularly cross-country and track and field runners. Limited work describes the seasonality of BSIs or the differences in rates and anatomic locations of BSIs in collegiate runners.

Purpose: To describe seasonally related trends in anatomic locations of BSIs in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I male and female middle- and long-distance runners.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: High intensity interval training for improving maximal oxygen consumption (VO) is a fundamental component of specific preparation phases for middle- and long-distance runners. In this context, short intervals are very popular in practice. The aim of the present study was to determine whether increasing the intensity of short intervals around maximal aerobic speed (vVO), compared to traditional long interval runs, leads to a greater time spent above 90% VO.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Curcumin is known for its potential health benefits; however, the evidence remains inconclusive regarding its necessity as a supplement for athletes during the preparatory phase of training. This study aimed to assess the effect of 6-week curcumin supplementation at a dose of 2g/day on selected inflammatory markers, blood count, and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) levels in middle-aged amateur long-distance runners during the preparatory period of a macrocycle. Thirty runners were randomly assigned to either a curcumin-supplemented group (CUR, n = 15) or a placebo group (PLA, n = 15).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Measuring lower extremity impact acceleration is a common strategy to identify runners with increased injury risk. However, existing axial peak tibial acceleration (PTA) thresholds for determining high-impact runners typically rely on small samples or fixed running speeds. This study aimed to describe the distribution of axial PTA among runners at their preferred running speed, determine an appropriate adjustment for investigating impact magnitude at different speeds, and compare biomechanics between runners classified by impact magnitude.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!