title: Low levels of vitamin D in professional basketball players after wintertime: relationship with dietary intake of vitamin D and calcium.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although vitamin D deficiency has a high worldwide prevalence among the general population, very little is known about vitamin status in athletes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate serum vitamin D (25[OH]D) levels after wintertime in male elite basketball players, and to relate these levels to the dietary intake of vitamin D and calcium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 21 players from the same professional Spanish team. Blood samples to assess 25(OH)D levels were collected after wintertime during the 2008/2009 (April) and 2009/2010 (March) seasons. In addition, athletes completed 4-day dietary records to estimate energy consumption and a food frequency questionnaire to determine dietary vitamin D and calcium intake. Serum 25(OH)D levels were 47.8±21.8 nmol/L, with twelve subjects (57%) being vitamin D deficient (<50 nmol/L).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin D intake was 139±78 IU/day and calcium intake was 948±419 mg/day. Serum 25(OH)D levels correlated with the daily dietary intake of vitamin D (r=0.65; P=0.001) and calcium (r=0.82; P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Professional basketball players are at higher risk of hypovitaminosis D after wintertime. Adequate intake of dietary calcium and vitamin D is required if athletes are to avoid low serum 25(OH)D levels when exposure to sunlight is limited.
authors.affiliation: Sport Sciences Research Group, National Institute of Physical Exercise of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. raul.bescos@inefc.net
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bescós García
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Guisado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001490:Basketball / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012621:Seasons; D013472:Sunlight; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D