Vitamins are essential nutrients for the proper functioning of our bodies and, along with other nutrients, act as catalysts for all physiological processes, such as growth.

There are many types of vitamins, 13 in total, but they all fall into two categories:

Water-soluble vitamins that are not stored in the body. Excess or excess amounts of these vitamins leave the body through urine. They must be taken regularly to avoid deficiency in the body, except for vitamin B12.

Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver, adipose tissue, and body muscles. The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K; In this post, we will talk about the importance of vitamin D in athletic performance.

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is represented by two compounds: cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) and ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2), structurally similar steroids derived from vitamin D sterols.

The difference is that vitamin D3 is produced by the action of solar energy on the skin of animals and humans. At the same time, vitamin D2 is also produced by solar activity but in plants, fungi, and yeasts. 
We can get vitamin D in three different ways:

through the diet

from the skin

of nutritional supplements...

The body naturally produces vitamin D after exposure to sunlight. But overexposure to the sun can age and thus cause skin cancer; This is why many people try to get vitamin D from other sources.

Therefore, 90% of the vitamin D produced by our skin is caused by the sun's ultraviolet rays. This means that depending on where we live, people who live in less sunny locations need to include vitamin D-rich foods in their diet. In this sense, health and sports professionals recommend practising water sports or being free outdoors to expose yourself to the correct exposure to sun and thus get more benefits when doing sports.

What is vitamin D used for?

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, one of the building blocks of bone. Vitamin D deficiency can cause bone diseases such as osteoporosis or rickets. In addition, vitamin D plays an essential role in the nervous, muscular, and immune systems.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has declared that Vitamin D is essential for our body for the following reasons:

Contributes to the everyday maintenance of muscle function.

It is a critical component in cell division.

Contributes to the proper functioning of the immune system.

It contributes to the normal absorption of calcium and phosphorus from bones and teeth and is essential for growth and development.

The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D is based on age and given in international units (IU) or micrograms (mcg). In addition, we must consider that the amount of vitamin D produced by the body depends on many factors: the season of the year, the time of day, the latitude in which we live, lifestyle, or skin pigmentation.

Benefits of taking Vitamin D

Benefits of taking Vitamin D

The benefits of taking vitamin D are varied, but we highlight the following:

Increased muscle mass

Vitamin D is an essential substance for skeletal muscles, helping to repair and hypertrophy them.

A decrease in vitamin D may be related to decreased muscle strength, reduced performance, increased risk of injury, and increased ability to retain subcutaneous and visceral fat.

Based on this, researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK have shown that an increase in vitamin D helps build muscle.
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