Injuries suck. The good news is a small daily pill might be able to save you from a lower-body injury that can derail your training. Research presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting examined the link between vitamin D status in participants of the NFL combine and occurrence of lower-body muscle strains. The average age of the subjects was 22 and vitamin D levels were found with a blood test.
A total of 59 percent of the athletes were found to have a vitamin D deficiency, and 10 percent had a severe deficiency. There was higher incidence of lower-body and core muscle strain in those who had low vitamin D levels. Of the players who reported missing at least one game because of injury, 86 percent had inadequate vitamin D levels.