According to a paper published in The American College of Sports Medicine, vitamin D may give American athletes an advantage in the 2012 Olympics.
The paper, “Athletic Performance and Vitamin D,” says vitamin D—which improves reaction time, muscle strength, speed and endurance—may give Americans the same edge that Russian and German athletes received in the 1950s and 1980s, when they used sunlamps to stimulate vitamin D production to increase performance and reduce injuries.
The paper also mentions the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Many athletes trained in Mexico to acclimate to the high altitude and weather—and it just so happens that many world records were set and Americans won more medals, especially in outdoor sports, during those games.
Sources:
The Post Chronicle: Vitamin D May Allow American Olympians To Dominate In 2012
Natural Products Marketplace: Vitamin D May Help Olympians
