Paradoxical Relationships between Serum 25(OH)D and Ferritin with Body Composition and Burnout: Variation by Sex and Sports Team

Abstract

Adequate serum vitamin D and iron levels are thought to influence physical training adaptations and mood positively. The primary purpose of this prospective, observational study was to investigate relationships between serum 25-OH vitamin D/25(OH)D and serum ferritin levels with body composition and athlete burnout symptoms. Seventy-three collegiate athletes (female: n = 49; male: n = 24) from indoor (swimming, basketball) and outdoor (soccer, cross-country) sports were tested pre-season and post-season for serum 25(OH)D and serum ferritin (nutrient biomarkers) via venipuncture; body composition (total lean mass, bone mineral density/BMD, and % body fat) via dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans; and athlete burnout symptoms (post-season) via the athlete burnout questionnaire (ABQ). When male and female cohorts were combined, significant correlations (Pearson’s r) were noted between pre-season serum 25(OH)D versus the change (∆: post-season minus pre-season) in both BMD (r = −0.34; p = 0.0003) and % body fat (r = −0.28; p = 0.015). Serum ferritin ∆ was significantly associated with lean mass ∆ (r = −0.34; p = 0.003). For burnout symptoms, serum 25(OH)D ∆ significantly explained 20.6% of the variance for devaluation of the sport in the male cohort only. Across time, serum 25(OH)D levels decreased while serum ferritin levels increased, non-significantly, in both males and females. Relationships between nutrient biomarkers and body composition were opposite of physiological expectations.