Vitamin D weekly supplementation (Spinal Cord Injury athletes) increased handgrip strength – May 2018

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on 25(OH)D Status in Elite Athletes With Spinal Cord Injury.

Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018 May 14:1-23. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0233. [Epub ahead of print]
Pritchett K1, Pritchett RC1, Stark L1, Broad E2, LaCroix M3.
1 Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA.
2 US Olympic Committee, Chula Vista, CA.
3 Canadian Sport Institute, Vancouver, Canada.

VitaminDWiki

Weekly IU dosing (not daily)

Initial Vit D 4 weeks4 weeks4 weeks
< 20 ng 50,000 50,000 15,000
20-30 ng35,000 15,000 15,000
>30 ng 15,000 15,000 15,000


% Having > 30 ng of vitamin D
26% ==> 91%


See also VitaminDWiki

Spinal Cord category has the following

20 items in Spinal Cord category

Some of the benefits of adding Vitamin D after Spinal Card Injury

  1. Treats SCI if done quickly (a Vitamin D loading dose seems essential)
  2. People with SCI tend to be Shut-in and get less sunshine
  3. Reduces Pain,Fatigue, Depression
  4. I Helps increase strength
  5. Reduce risk of osteoporosis (very common in SCI)
  6. Reduce risk of pressure ulcers
  7. Reduce risk of. becoming obese
  8. Reduces bone loss resulting from spinal cord injury 2021, FREE PDF


Recent studies suggest that a substantial proportion of athletes with SCI (spinal cord injury) have insufficient 25(OH)D status which may be associated with decreased muscle strength. This study consisted of two parts: 1) to examine the effects of a 12 -16 week vitamin D3 supplementation protocol on 25(OH)D concentration and 2) to determine whether subsequent 25(OH)D status impacts muscle performance in elite athletes with SCI. Thirty-four members (age: 33 ± 15 years, weight: 69.6 ± 28.2kg, height: 170.2 ± 25.4cm) of the US and Canadian Paralympic program participated in the study. 25(OH)D concentrations and performance measures (handgrip strength, and 20M wheelchair sprint) were assessed pre and post supplementation (winter and spring). Participants were assigned a sliding scale vitamin D3 supplementation protocol (from winter to spring) based on initial 25(OH)D concentrations. Participants with deficient 25(OH)D (<50 nmol/L) status received 50,000 IU/wk for 8 wks, and participants with insufficient status (50-75 nmol/L) received 35,000 IU/wk for 4 wks, after which both received a maintenance dose of 15,000 IU/wk. Participants with sufficient status (>75nmol/L) received the maintenance dose of 15,000 IU/wk. 25(OH)D concentrations increased significantly after supplementation (p <0.001; 66.3 + 24.3 nmol/L; 111.3 + 30.8 nmol/L) for winter and spring, respectively. 26% of athletes had sufficient 25(OH)D concentrations before supplementation, and 91% had sufficient concentrations post supplementation. 62% of participants improved handgrip strength post supplementation with no change in 20-meter wheelchair sprint performance time. The sliding scale supplementation protocol was effective for achieving sufficient vitamin D concentrations in elite athletes with SCI.

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