As you continue to train and race for the remainder of the season, learning about your vitamin D status and focusing on your vitamin D intake from food and supplements might actually improve your performance. While there is limited data on vitamin D status in athletes , (let alone cyclists), some experts believe that poor vitamin D status can often be a problem among athletes, and affect your overall health and ability to train.

What it does

Vitamin D is unique from other vitamins. First, it is actually a hormone and unlike vitamins, which are derived from abundant food sources only, vitamin D can be synthesized from sunlight. In fact sunlight was our main source of vitamin D until recently and it is remains the best source (although not necessarily the safest), while food sources are very limited.

Most likely your first association with vitamin D is the important role in bone health and bone formation via calcium absorption, but it is now known to play numerous important roles in maintaining optimal health. Emerging data indicates that vitamin D deficiency is linked to chronic diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, as well as autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Other functions of vitamin D more related to athletic performance, include the nutrient’s positive effect on the immune system. Hard training can increase incidence of upper respiratory infections and optimal vitamin D status could help prevent illness and infection. Vitamin D also plays a role in controlling inflammation, and vitamin D deficiency can increase risk of certain sports related injuries. There is some limited evidence that low vitamin D status is linked to suboptimal athletic performance and that correcting a deficiency could improve performance as related to muscle protein synthesis, neuromuscular function, and speed and endurance. While more research is definitely needed in regards to performance outcomes, it is appears reasonable that an athlete’s health and overall ability to train could be affected by suboptimal vitamin D status. Numerous studies by German and Russian scientists in the early 20th century suggest that vitamin D status might affect athletic performance. More specifically, these studies measured the effects of irradiation from a sunlamp and the associated improvement in athletic performance. Current research has focused on physical performance in the elderly, and that deficiency is associated with reduced muscle strength and poor physical function.

Read more . . .

[Source: VeloNews]

Go futher and faster:

Here are some basic secrets to improve your long-distance cycling skills:

1. Commute with your bike.
2. Do speedwork at least 3 times per week (intervals, traing races and time trials).
3. Take on long ride each week to maintain endurance.  That’s all you need.
4. Go hard occasionally on familiar hills to gauge fitness and build strength
5. In an event , push almost to your anaerobic threshold on climbs, because this is where the most time can be gained.  Then recover on descents.
6. Except on climbs, strive for a steady effort-the key to achieving top performance.
7. Opt for a liquid diet rather than solid food, especially for events lasting two or more days.  That’s when a liquid diet is most effective.
8. Stay fit year-round to thwart the effects of aging.

[Source: Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills]