Abstract
Vitamin D is potentially important factor influencing the performance capacity of the athletes. It favourably affects muscle protein synthesis, reaction time parameters, balance and physical fitness tests.
It might improve the outcome of cardiovascular disease by down-regulating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and by direct effects on the heart and vasculature. It enhances the recovery processes after intense exercise.
Our cross-sectional study in athletes indicates dependence of vitamin D level on the period of the year when measurement was performed. In the pre-spring period the lower level of physiological normative (60 nmol/l) in only 20 % of subjects was achieved, disregarding that one group of athletes included exclusively winter swimmers, who have regularly exposed their naked bodies to the day light during the whole winter period.
Three-week supplementation with therapeutical doses of Vigantol adjusted D-vitamin level to physiological level in all subjects. It seems that athletes don't devote necessary attention to the sufficient saturation of vitamin D by both natural sources and additional supplementation.
Our pilot study indicated that prevalence of seasonal hypovitaminosis D in athletes in our climatic conditions is obviously high and adequate supplementation could be recommended disregarding the mode of athletic activity.