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Vitamin D in Basketball Players: Current Evidence and Future Directions
Emilija Stojanović1,2, Dragan Radovanović1, Tamara Hew-Butler3
1Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.
Context:
Despite growing interest in quantifying and correcting vitamin D inadequacy in basketball players, a critical synthesis of these data is yet to be performed to overcome the low generalizability of findings from individual studies.
Objective:
To provide a comprehensive analysis of data in basketball pertaining to (1) the prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy; (2) the effects of vitamin D supplementation on 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration (and its association with body composition), bone health, and performance; and (3) crucial aspects that warrant further investigation.
Data Sources:
PubMed, MEDLINE, ERIC, Google Scholar, SCIndex, and ScienceDirect databases were searched.
Study Selection:
After screening, 15 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis.
Study Design:
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Level Of Evidence:
Level 3.
Data Extraction:
The prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy, serum 25(OH)D, body composition, stress fractures, and physical performance were extracted.
Results:
The pooled prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy for 527 basketball players in 14 studies was 77% (P < 0.001; 95% CI, 0.70-0.84). Supplementation with 4000 IU/d and 4000 IU/wk (absolute mean difference [AMD]: 25.39 nmol/L; P < 0.001; 95% CI, 13.44-37.33), as well as 10,000 IU/d (AMD: 100.01; P < 0.001; 95% CI, 70.39-129.63) vitamin D restored 25(OH)D to normal concentrations. Body composition data revealed inverse correlations between changes in serum 25(OH)D (from pre- to postsupplementation) and body fat (r = -0.80; very large). Data concerning positive impacts of vitamin D supplementation on bone health and physical performance remain sparse.
Conclusion:
The high proportion of vitamin D inadequacy underscores the need to screen for serum 25(OH)D in basketball players. Although supplementation restored vitamin D sufficiency, the beneficial effects on bone health and physical performance remain sparse. Adiposity can modulate 25(OH)D response to supplementation.
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