Wednesday May 27, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- Mention the word “steroid” and visions of Barry Bonds and others who have “memory problems” when it comes to whether or not they used them come to mind. But there is a “natural” steroid that enhances physical performance, and it does so quite legally.

Vitamin D, or the “sunshine” vitamin as some call it, seems to serve as a type of natural “steroid” in that it improves musculoskeletal performance. In its May 2009 issue, the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise cites a statement by the American College of Sports Medicine, which maintains that activated vitamin D acts as a hormone, regulating over 1000 genes in the body, including those located in the muscles and nerves.

Beginning in the 1950s, when a German study was published stating that vitamin D friendly ultraviolet light improved athletic performance, until now, the ACSM has gathered literature, which has remained consistent regarding athletic prowess and vitamin D levels. Peak performance occurs when vitamin D is naturally obtained through full body summer exposure, thus implying that such increases in strength and stamina is seasonal in nature.

A significant number of studies related to vitamin D in older individuals have proven that physical ability is directly tied to levels of the vitamin found in the bloodstream. Additionally, the vitamin increases the fibers of “fast twitch” muscles, another performance enhancing attribute.

(By Rachel Stockton, and edited by Heather Kelley)