Vitamin D deficiency in Dancers. Why you need the 'Sunshine' Vitamin!
Lets Talk Vitamin D, and why it is a nutrient that many dancers need.
It is widely known that a lack of sunlight can lead to a deficiency in vitamin D. But how does a lack of this vitamin affect athletes who train indoors, especially during the winter months? To find out, researchers in the UK studied elite ballet dancers and observed whether supplementation helped.
Last year ( 2013) a study, published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, was conducted through a collaboration between researchers at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), the University of Wolverhampton and dancers at the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
These three institutions are founding partners of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science (NIDMS).
To conduct their study, the team split 24 elite classical ballet dancers into two groups. During the 4-month study, one group took oral supplementation of vitamin D3 to the tune of 2,000 IU per day, while a control group did not take any supplements.
Isometric muscular strength and vertical jump height, things like a held Arabesque and Allegro Ballon were measured at the start and end of the study. Additionally, the in-house medical team recorded any injuries the dancers experienced.
The researchers found that the dancers who took vitamin D supplements showed greater improvements in muscle strength and vertical performance, while also experiencing fewer injuries, compared with the control group.
Dr. Roger Wolman, consultant in rheumatology, sport and exercise medicine at the RNOH, says:
"Vitamin D is important for bone development and has a wide range of functions. In a deficient state, dancers are at increased risk of bone injuries, and this latest research indicates an increased risk of muscle injury, which can be detrimental to their health and their careers."
Following on from their findings, the researchers suggest that medical staff and instructors monitor vitamin D levels in dancers throughout the whole year and provide supplements for them during winter months.
This can help their serum levels return to normal, they say, ultimately leading to improvement in overall performance.
Traditionally dancers spend between 6 and 8 hours training indoors for 6 days a week throughout the year, and they need to be able to execute highly technical movements during high intensity periods of training and when performing.
This study provides important advice on performance enhancement as well as offering vital insights into the overall health and well-being of dancers. Injury treatment of dancers costs the dance sector an average of £900,000 ($1.4 million) each year
This very important study serves to reinforce why we created Dance Essential Supplements, targeted nutritional support crafted and manufactured specifically for Dancers. With Studio Daily our daily supplement you get the Vitamin D, as recommended for dancers by the study cited above; you also get 58 other potent ingredients including Minerals , Antioxidants, Whole Food Concentrates and Probiotics for Dietary Support . We believe this is the best supplement for dancers available.
We have been Professional Ballet and Commercial Dancers , we know how hard it is to eat as well as you want and need to, with Class, Rehearsals and Performances not to mention Physio and Pilates and Socialising all squeezed in to your day!
We've created the best possible combination of ingredients from the highest quality raw materials in the most compact form that we could manage to bring hard working Dancers and the dancer in every body a product that will support them through their rigorous training and beyond.
