- Running Snack Choices Can Sabotage Other Healthy Eating 2019 study Health & Injuries Dont Stress About Healthy Habits Over Holidays, Snack Choices Can Sabotage Other Healthy Eating.
- It’s unnecessary to consume more than 600 IU (international units) of vitamin D per day—unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
By now, we know that vitamin D is essential for building the strong, healthy bones we need in order to Smash your goals with a. And because running is a weight-bearing exercise that puts stress on our bones, getting enough can help prevent injury run our best Health & Injuries., a sports nutritionist who works with Olympians and endurance athletes, vitamin D, along with other nutrients, can reduce your risk of stress fractures by optimizing bone density, fighting inflammation, improving muscle strength, Sales & Deals.
While your regular routine of research Health & Injuries Dont Stress About Healthy Habits Over Holidays Health in the News recommended amount of vitamin D—600 IU (international units) per day—could actually decrease your bone density. In the study, 311 people (ages 55 to 70) consumed either 400, 4,000, or 10,000 IU of vitamin D in supplement form once a day over a three-year period. They also had their wrist and ankle bone strength and bone density measured at six, 12, 24, and 36 months, and their vitamin D and calcium levels measured at three, six, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months.
Over three years, bone mineral density (BMD) decreased by 1.4 percent in the group that consumed 400 IU per day, 2.6 percent in the group that consumed 4,000 IU per day, and 3.6 percent in the group that consumed 10,000 IU per day. (It’s worth noting that every group saw a slight decrease in bone mineral density because as we get older, our bones naturally start to decline in density.)
This means that getting more than the recommended amount of vitamin D per day doesn’t do anything to strengthen your bones. Instead, it may lead to weaker bones. According to consuming more than the recommended amount of vitamin D could actually decrease your bone density., study coauthor and director of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health at the University of Calgary, the reason for the bone density loss might have to do with the fact that high doses of vitamin D were associated with an increase in a blood marker of bone breakdown and suppression of parathyroid hormone (PTH).
[National Institutes of Health NIH Runner’s World Training Plan, designed for any speed and any distance.]
“PTH keeps your blood calcium at a normal level, and calcium is a mineral that helps strengthen your bones,” Boyd told Runner’s World. “PTH also stimulates normal bone maintenance—which is the removal of old bone and stimulation of new bone formation.
So if there is increased bone breakdown combined with less PTH stimulation of bone maintenance, the net effect may be modest bone loss.”
Although sufficient vitamin D is important to maintain healthy bones, Boyd pointed out that mechanical loading—or the stress that’s put on your bones when you move—is also an important factor. So for us runners, “the loads generated by walking and running play an important role in the cellular processes regulating bone maintenance,” he said.
But levels vary person-to-person, so check with your doctor to schedule a blood test if you think you might need more or less vitamin D, because ultimately, a recommendation is just that—a recommendation.
What we know for sure is that being deficient in the vitamin is still risky for your health. Not getting enough vitamin D can lead to bone or muscle soreness, stress reactions and fractures, and other bone-related issues. It’s common, though, to not see any symptoms, so a blood test is necessary to know if your levels are low.
If levels are low, limited sun exposure can help, but there are certain groups of people who have a higher risk of being deficient in vitamin D: those with darker skin tones (melanin reduces the skin’s ability to produce the vitamin); vegans (most foods that have naturally occurring vitamin D in them are animal-based); those with digestion issues and can’t absorb the vitamin as well (think: Crohn’s or celiac disease); fair-skinned women (as they are more likely to be covered up when in the sun); and those who live in cold environments (they’re likely to spend more time inside or bundled up outside).
Journal of the American Medical Association running and strength training can help guard against bone loss, your diet can help as well. Packing your plate with more vitamin D-rich foods will help. To get a sufficient amount of vitamin D in your diet, look to foods like swordfish, salmon, tuna, milk, yogurt, eggs, and cheese. For instance, three ounces of cooked swordfish contains 566 IU of vitamin D and 3 ounces of cooked sockeye salmon contains 447 IU of vitamin D, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
It’s also important to keep tabs on how much calcium you’re getting in your diet, since vitamin D and calcium work together to keep your bones healthy and strong. (While calcium works to build and maintain strong bones, vitamin D helps your body absorb the calcium.)
There are certain foods and drinks that can strip the calcium away from your bones. Lewin warns that caffeine-containing beverages and too much protein Health in the News.
Lewin also recommends multivitamins and vitamin D supplements to prevent becoming deficient. Again, a blood test is the only way to know, so check with your doctor before taking any of these supplements as too much can be harmful to your health.
It’s generally unnecessary to consume any more vitamin D than what’s recommended (600 IU per day).
By eating a healthy diet rich in vitamin D, continuing your weight-bearing workouts, and adding in a supplement when needed, you should be well on your way to strong and healthy bones.
