The role of vitamin D in the prevention of bone metabolism disorders in athletes

High competitive and training loads in sports are a risk factor for stress fractures in athletes. Vitamin D, which regulates phosphorus-calcium metabolism, affects the condition of the musculoskeletal system. Given the high incidence of vitamin D deficiency in athletes, its correction may have a positive effect on the incidence of injuries in sports. The aim of the review is to assess the effect of vitamin D on bone metabolism in sports based on the results of an analysis of modern scientific publications. The review is based on publications from the PubMed, Google Scholar, Cyberleninka, and eLIBRARY databases. Preference was given to articles in peer-reviewed sources published over the past 10 years. The review emphasizes the relevance of the problem of vitamin D deficiency in sports, highlighting risk factors for the development of its insufficient supply among athletes and its impact on the functioning of the musculoskeletal system. In athletes, the risk of osteopenia is additionally associated with the presence of unfavorable variants of allelic combinations of the genes of the vitamin D receptor and type I collagen, the development of the syndrome of relative energy deficiency in sports. Athletes are recommended to maintain target levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), which have a positive effect on bone remodeling, but specialized recommendations on this issue have not yet been developed. Evaluation of the concentration of 25(OH)D in the blood serum can be recommended for all representatives of the sports subpopulation, especially in risk groups for vitamin deficiency and decreased bone mineral density. In the treatment of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, it is necessary to be guided by the clinical recommendations of the Russian Association of Endocrinologists. Further research in sports on the effects of vitamin D on bone metabolism with the development of unified strategies for target levels of 25(OH)D and cholecalciferol supplementation in athletes is advisable.

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