Influence of vitamin D status on respiratory infection incidence and immune function during 4 months of winter training in endurance sport athletes.
Exerc Immunol Rev. 2013;19:86-101.
He CS, Handzlik M, Fraser WD, Muhamad A, Preston H, Richardson A, Gleeson M.
School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Leucestershire, United Kingdom.
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of vitamin D status on mucosal and systemic immunity and the incidence, severity and duration of upper respiratory tract illness (URTI) episodes in endurance athletes during a 16-week winter training period. Blood was collected from 225 subjects at the start of the study and plasma was analysed for total 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) and cathelicidin concentration. Blood was also collected at the end of the study and analysed for 25(OH)D and antigen-stimulated cytokine production. Unstimulated saliva samples were obtained at the start and at 4-week intervals during the study period. Saliva samples were analysed for salivary antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs). Weekly training and daily illness logs were kept.
At the start and end of the study 38% and 55%, respectively, of the athlete cohort had inadequate (plasma 25(OH)D 30-50 nmol/L) or deficient (plasma 25(OH)D < 30 nmol/L) vitamin D status.
There was a significantly higher proportion of subjects who presented with symptoms of URTI in the vitamin D deficient status group (initial plasma 25(OH)D < 30 nmol/L) during the study period than in the optimal vitamin D group (> 120 nmol/L) and the total number of URTI symptom days and the median symptom-severity score in the vitamin D deficient group was significantly higher than in the other groups.
The plasma cathelicidin concentration positively correlated with the plasma 25(OH)D concentration and the saliva secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) secretion rate in the optimal vitamin D status group was significantly higher than in the other groups. Low vitamin D status was associated with lower pro-inflammatory cytokine production by monocytes and lymphocytes. Low vitamin D status could be an important determinant of URTI risk in endurance athletes and mucosal as well as systemic immunity may be modified via vitamin D-dependent mechanisms.
PMID: 23977722
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
See also VitaminDWiki
- All items in Breathing and Vitamin D
453 items - Respiratory tract infection eliminated in 36 percent of people by 4000 IU of Vitamin D – RCT Sept 2015
- Newborn acute lower respiratory tract infection associated with low maternal vitamin D – March 2015
- Respiratory infections (RTI) cut in half by 20,000 IU weekly vitamin D if initially deficient – RCT March 2015
- Respiratory Tract Infection visits 2.5 less likely with vitamin D: Pregnancy 2000 IU, Infant 800 IU – RCT Oct 2014
- Acute Lower Respiratory Infections in Children - associated with low vitamin D – meta-analysis Dec 2014
- Vitamin D and Respiratory Tract Infections – meta-analysis with charts June 2013
- Search "Respiratory Tract Infection" 280 items as of March 2017
Fewer respiratory infections if optimal level of vitamin D (more than 47 ng) – Sept 20138779 visitors, last modified 03 Mar, 2017, This page is in the following categories (# of items in each category)Attached files
ID Name Uploaded Size Downloads 3014 Infection.jpg admin 18 Sep, 2013 64.74 Kb 1290 3013 infections in winter athletes.pdf admin 18 Sep, 2013 382.96 Kb 1283