Does it make any sense at all to get a vitamin deficiency test for athletes looking to do everything they can to maximize performance?
I know a nutritionist doctor working with an International team in professional sports in Europe who gets the athletes to do this, and of course, I see it offered everywhere.
Is there any grey area between “I have symptoms from a deficiency” and upper tolerable intake for vitamins and minerals? In otherwords, something above RDA that might infer benefits (outside of mitigating a diseased state).
I do recall that when in grad school a few years ago the lecturer referred to an “optimal daily intake” but I’m finding it hard to see that reproduced anywhere, but the concept makes sense.
I don’t think that routine vitamin deficiency screening reliably identifies deficiencies that would benefit from treatment in athletes of gen pop. Generally speaking, a lab value is just that…a number. We really need a high degree of suspicion to know where to look and why. I feel the same way about blood work in athletes. I think most of these practices are done to “treat” the team professionals, not the athlete.
In general I agree with Dr Feigenbaum above. The main exception I can think of where I’d test a bit more aggressively isn’t actually for a vitamin deficiency, but specifically for iron deficiency, particularly in menstruating women.
Agreed. Could make a case there for more aggressive screening compared to existing guidelines IMO.