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Main authors: Borja Ricart, Pablo Monteagudo and Cristina Blasco-Lafarga
Vitamin D is an essential micronutrient for bone and muscle health. In indoor sports such as basketball, where sun exposure is limited, deficit is more common than expected, even among elite young players.
A study conducted by the Universitat de València, the Universitat Jaume I and Basketball Chair L’Alqueria del Basket analysed vitamin D levels in teenager players and their relationship with their performance in jump tests, essential for basketball.
Study design
- Participants: 27 young athletes from a top-level club (14 females and 13 males).
- Measurements:
- Blood analysis of vitamin D.
- Abalakov Test (bilateral and unilateral).
- Triple hop test (three consecutive hops on one leg).
Main findings
- General deficiency. Both female and male players presented vitamin D deficit (≈29 ng/ml), despite their high competitive level.
- Better performance in male players. They achieved higher results in several jump tests, especially in the left-leg Abalakov and in the triple hop.
Opposite associations
- In males, higher vitamin D levels were positively associated with bilateral jump performance.
- In females, negative correlations were observed in some tests, which points to different mechanisms in their physical performance.
Practical applications
- Coaches and physical trainers: supervising vitamin D levels and considering nutritional or sun exposure interventions as a part of the training plan.
- Clubs and medical services: carrying out periodical vitamin D controls during the season, especially in indoor sports, in order to avoid deficits capable of affecting performance and bone health.
- Future research: further research on gender differences because the results suggest that males and females can respond differently to this vitamin in terms of explosive strength.
Conclusion: beyond physical training
The study proves that hypovitaminosis D is common among young male and female basketball players and that its impact on jump performance changes according to gender.
Controlling and optimising vitamin D levels not only can improve sport performance, but also contribute to injuries prevention and healthy development of young athletes.
This research is part of the work carried out by the Basketball Chair L’Alqueria – Universitat de València, whose aim is to apply science to improve the health and performance of future generations of players.
