Tip Boost Performance in 14 Days with this Vitamin Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Diet & Fat LossEating Tip Boost Performance in 14 Days with this Vitamin Take this for just two weeks and see your endurance escalate and cortisol levels plummet by TC Luoma February 11, 2017November 3, 2021 Tags Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips, Vitamin D Are you one of those gamer geeks who stays indoors a lot? Or are you someone who lives far from the equator where there isn't as much sun? Maybe you always use sunscreen, or you have dark skin, or you don't consume very much fish or milk? If any of these things are true, you may be deficient in Vitamin D3, which is one of the most common deficiencies in the world. It's bad enough for your health if you're low in this crucial vitamin, but a deficiency can really mess up you athletic performance, too. The Study To find out just how important Vitamin D3 is to exercise ability, Scottish researchers gave 2000 units to 9 people every day for 14 days. They noted dramatic differences in the way subjects responded to various tests, including endurance, perceived exertion, cortisol, cortisol/cortisone ratio, and blood pressure. The study involved 15 people, 6 of whom were given placebo and 9 of whom were given 2000 units of Vitamin D3 a day for 14 days. Participants were asked to do 20 minutes of hard cycling on an ergometer, before and after taking Vitamin D3. The following things were noted: The Vitamin D3 group cycled a greater distance than the placebo group. The Vitamin D3 group felt less tired after cycling. The Vitamin D3 group had lower resting and active systolic and diastolic blood pressure (a good thing). The Vitamin D3 group had less cortisol in their urine, along with a more favorable cortisol/cortisone urine ratio. Why Did It Work So Well The scientists theorized that the Vitamin D3 lowered blood pressure because it inhibits the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAAS) system. In short, stimulating the RAAS leads to high blood pressure and inhibiting it (like Vitamin D3 does) reduces blood pressure. As far as the positive effects on cortisol and cortisol/cortisone ratios, Vitamin D3 appears to reduce the activity of an enzyme named 11-beta-HSD1, which is the enzyme that turns cortisone to cortisol. How Much D3 Should I Take The cool thing about this study is that it used a sane dosage of Vitamin D3. Two thousand units is probably a perfect amount for most people to take, especially if their lifestyle (lack of sunlight in general) or dietary habits aren't conducive to healthful levels of Vitamin D3. There are plenty of symptoms that possibly reflect a Vitamin D3 deficiency, like frequent illness, undue fatigue, depression, impaired wound healing, muscle pain, and undue sweating from the head area, but the only way to make sure you have adequate amounts is to have a blood test. (The optimal range is between 50 and 70 nanograms per milliliter.) Regardless of whether you have overt symptoms or not, Vitamin D3 is one of those things you should be taking anyhow. It's a cheap but solid insurance policy against poor health and a poor response to training. Reference Emad A. S. Al-Dujaili, Nimrah Munir, Raquel Revuelta Iniesta, "Effect of vitamin D supplementation on cardiovascular disease risk factors and exercise performance in healthy participants: a randomized placebo-controlled preliminary study," Ther Adv Endocrinol Metab. Vol 7, Issue 4, 2016. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Eating Tip Good Salmon Bad Salmon There's a big difference between Pacific and Atlantic salmon. Are you choosing the right one? Info here. Dietary Myth Busting, Good Fats, Nutrition & Supplements, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Tips TC Luoma October 12 Diet & Fat Loss Tip Two Amino Acids That Control Appetite Eat more foods that contain these aminos and you'll get full faster and avoid gaining fat. Here's the list. BCAA, Diet Strategy, Losing Fat, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips Chris Shugart October 7 Supplements Tip How Much Protein Can You Absorb Despite the prevailing myth, you can and should eat more than 30 grams of protein per sitting. But exactly how much? Info here. Bodybuilding, Nutrition & Supplements, Performance Proteins, Protein, Tips TC Luoma February 17 Eating The Fat That Makes You Fat For years they've been saying it's good for us. In reality, this type of fat is making us fatter and causing heart attacks. And it's everywhere. Coconut Oil, Diet Plan, Dietary Myth Busting, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Olive Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids Bill Roberts March 18