Vitamin D remains a recurring topic in sport because low vitamin D status is common in athletic populations, particularly during winter at higher latitudes, and because vitamin D has well-established roles in calcium–phosphate homeostasis and skeletal health. Interest has expanded beyond bone, driven by mechanistic evidence that vitamin D receptors are expressed in multiple tissues (including skeletal muscle and immune cells) and by observational reports linking low vitamin D

Inflammation has long been portrayed as something inherently bad; a process that needs to be fought or suppressed. In popular media, it’s associated with pain, chronic disease, and poor health. Yet, within the body, inflammation is also an essential initial component of the immune response. Inflammation is a tightly regulated system that evolved to protect us from infection and promote healing. The problem is not inflammation itself, but when this finely tuned biological mech

Gut health plays a crucial role in athletic performance, recovery, and immune support, with prebiotics and probiotics often used to enhance these outcomes. However, there is growing interest in postbiotics, refering to non-living microbial preparations that may offer similar benefits. This blog explores the science behind postbiotics and their potential role in supporting athlete health and performance. https://www.mysportscience.com/post/probiotics-it-may-not-all-be-positive

In our recent paper, “ Does REDs exist? ”, we raise some important questions about the REDs concept and supporting evidence (1). This blog covers whether low energy availability (LEA), considered the cause of REDs, leads to ‘immunosuppression’ or ‘immunological dysfunction’ in athletes, as has been suggested. Interest in this topic has been stoked by observations that leanness and LEA are associated with the recall of illness symptoms in athletes. Are infections a serious pro