Mirabai Holland Health & Fitness Article

June 2009 Issue --> Health & Fitness Article

Vitamin D: The Sports Vitamin?

By: Mirabai Holland

Vitamin D is an important Vitamin.

It's the sunshine vitamin you absorb through your skin when you're outdoors.

It helps stabilize our mood. That's why people in northern climates with less sunlight get SAD, Seasonal Depressive Syndrome, those winter blues.
It works with other chemicals in your body to help keep your immune system healthy.
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, and important element in building and maintaining bone mass.
And preliminary scientific evidence points to Vitamin D as a sports performance aid.

A 2009 study with adolescent girls at the University of Manchester, England found that the girls with higher levels of vitamin D had better muscle performance and speed than those with lower Vitamin D levels.

It's also thought that exercise may increase your body's ability to absorb Vitamin D.

Anecdotal evidence shows sports performance appears to improve in the summer when people are exercising in the sun and Vitamin D levels would be highest.

There are 2 types of Vitamin D

Vitamin D2 -the kind that's found in fortified food and supplements and Vitamin D3 the kind you absorb from sunlight.

Conventional wisdom was that Vitamin D3 was more effective, particularly when it came to your bones, than D2. But recent research at Boston University School of Medicine showed that effectiveness is about the same for both types.

Because of our lifestyles, most people don't get enough Vitamin D from sunlight.

Even those who are outdoors a lot use sunscreen to prevent skin cancer and therefore don't absorb enough Vitamin D.

So, most of us need to eat Vitamin D rich foods like Eggs (particularly yolks), Liver, Mackerel, Tuna and Salmon or fortified foods, like milk, or orange juice, and Cereal, or take Vitamin D supplements to get the daily recommended adult dose of 400 - 800 international units (IU) per day.

Adults over 50 should get 800 - 1000 IU daily.

These are just general recommendations. Actual requirements vary from person to person. Check with your doctor.

About the Author:

Mirabai Holland M.F.A. is one of the leading authorities in the Health & Fitness industry, and public health activist who specializing in preventive and rehabilitative exercise for women. Her Moving Free® approach to exercise is designed to provide a movement experience so pleasant it doesn't feel like work. www.movingfree.com

All data provided on this website is to be used for information purposes only. The information contained on this website and pages within, is not intended to provide specific legal, medical, financial or tax advice, or any other advice, whatsoever, for any individual or company and should not be relied upon in that regard. The services described on this website are only offered in jurisdictions where they may be legally offered. Information provided in our website is not all-inclusive, and is limited to information that is made available to and such information should not be relied upon as all-inclusive or accurate.

Bookmark this page now...

Vitamin D: The Sports Vitamin? by Mirabai Holland

Stumble It!

Other Health & Fitness articles enjoyed by our readers.

Do Not Wait till Jan. 1st
by Darin Steen

What Activities Are Preventing You From Exercising? Find Your True Priorities
by Lynn Bode, CFT

Moving Free® With Mirabai
Warm Weather Weight Loss
by Mirabai Holland

Here's a Taste of What You'll Get With Your Subscription...

Each month you'll have access to a new issue of the online magazine that is full of fantastic resources and help from the experts that will give you motivational training, as well as the inspiration, and education that you need to Live the Story of Your Dreams!

Weekly doses of "feel good" and practical self-help tips with The Chronicles eZine…

Live Access to the Top Movers and Shakers in the world twice a month through the Real Life Legends Teleseminar Series...

It's all completely FREE and you can unsubscribe at any time!

	Click Here with questions or comments about this web site. © Copyright 2003-2010 . Healthy Wealthy nWise. All Rights Reserved. 205 W. Liberty St., Ste. 203, Charles Town, WV 25414 304.725.2502
Home \| Affiliates \| Current Issue \| Contact Us Privacy Policy \| Terms of Use \| Subscriber Agreement Questions & Tech Support