Abstract

Immune system is strongly influenced by daily overcome of physical workloads. Monitoring of the immune system is one of the main tasks of preparing athletes for the European and world championships. Recently, much attention is being focused on the evaluation of active vitamin D effects on immune system. Data on vitamin D metabolism characteristics and its effect on athletes’ immune system have not been published in Lithuania. This led to our research objective – to determine the status of athletes’ body supply with vitamin D and to evaluate serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D relationship with the immune system activity. The research was conducted in May 2013. There were investigated high-performance basketball and volleyball female players who represented the Lithuanian Deaf Olympic Team. The contingent was 26,4 ± 4,5 years of age, 172,4 ± 5,9 cm of height and 66,3 ± 7,3 kg of body weight. Athletes’ blood was analyzed using the hematologic analyzer “Micros 60” in accredited Lithuanian Sports Medicine Centre laboratory. 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) serum level was set in the accredited disease diagnostic laboratory “Endemik”. 7 day food recall study was conducted in order to assess the intake of dietary vitamin D. The results showed that the average of 25 (OH) D level in female athletes’ serum is 24,1 ± 6,6 ng/ml. Immune system activity have significant association with 25(OH)D serum level in the absence of vitamin D stores in the sportswomen’s’ body. It was found that 25(OH)D serum level have an inverse relationship with total count of white blood cells (r = -0,676) and granulocytes/neutrophils (r = - 0,613) and direct relationship with circulating lymphocyte and monocyte concentrations (r = 0,571 and r = 0,446). In addition, the recommended intake of vitamin D among female athletes does not provide the required level of serum vitamin D. Verf.-Referat