TRIBUTE
• Low or high body fat levels (fat acts as a sink for vitamin D; if you have very little body fat you may not be able to store it and if you have a lot you will store it but it may not be released)
If you are vitamin D deficient you may
have certain signs and symptoms, al- though these are not always present. In other words, you can have low vi- tamin D status without having any of these symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency in Athletes
• Low bone mass • Stress fractures • Fatigue • Muscle and joint pain and weakness • Frequent illness • Sleep issues
The most effective way to prevent vita-
min D deficiency is by getting a blood test to determine your status. The best test is serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D. While not an inexpensive test, it is a reliable test and provides a good baseline for the ath- lete. Once this baseline is determined, a sports dietitian or health care provider can provide guidance on what best to do to 1) remedy low levels or 2) maintain normal status. Effective approaches in- clude: 1) supplementation; 2) get some sun (5 minutes for fair-skinned individu- als to 30 minutes for darker-skinned individuals) to arms, legs, and back sev- eral times a week close to noon without sunscreen is usually sufficient for the summer months; 3) increase dietary sources (e.g., wild salmon). Supplemen- tation to maintain a normal status re- quires between 1500-2000 IU of vitamin D per day. If deficient a more rapid ap- proach is to load with a higher dose but this strategy needs to be in collaboration with a physician or sports dietitian. Fi- nally, there is always the risk of supple- ment contamination. Thus, use caution when selecting your own supplements off the shelf at the grocery or supple- ment store. For more questions contact
nanna.meyer@
usoc.org. n
A TRIBUTE TO SUPPORTERS AND ATHLETES WHO WILL BE
GREATLY MISSED By: Kelly Pugliano When one thinks of sports, the athlete
is usually the star of the day. They are put- ting in the grueling practice time, training and taking to the field of play to beat the competition. Yet, behind the scenes one may overlook the parent that is commit- ted to supporting their son or daughter. Many parents seem to gravitate to the role of volunteer in some shape or form to help where needed. Some grow to love the sport so much the commitment lasts long aer the career of the skater. The speedskating family has suffered
loss of such staunch supporters the past few months and all will be greatly missed.
Dr. Andy Gabel, Sr. Dr. Andy Gabel, Sr., a retired physician
had been involved in speedskating since the 1970’s, when his son U.S. Olympian and past US Speedskating President Andy Gabel began his long membership- the longest in US Speedskating history- on the National Short Track Team (1979 to 1998), National Long Track Team (1981 to 1998) and World Short Track Team (1987 to 1998). Dr. Gabel shared his passion and com- mitment for the sport by becoming a US Speedskating official. He contributed his talents as a starter for many years in the Midwest region and made lasting friend- ships with the speedskating community. His presence will be greatly missed by all.
Paul Meuller Paul Meuller never laced up skates for competition. Instead, he chose to become actively involved in supporting his three children in their skating endeavors. When his six-year old son Peter wanted to race with the other skaters in Madison’s Ten- ney Park, he had to talk the officials into letting him race. Paul persuaded them to let his son race and all were amazed that the six-year old, deemed too young, beat out all the seven-year olds!
The Meuller family soon joined the Madison Speedskating Club where all three children competed and Paul be- came a volunteer coach for over 15 years. In 1972, the Meuller family moved to Mequon, WI to be closer the currently named Pettit National Ice Center, to sup- port son Peter’s dream of becoming an Olympic Champion. That dream was real- ized in 1976 as Peter earned a gold med- al in the 1000meter distance in the 1976 Innsbruck Olympic Winter Games; one of Paul’s proudest moments.
Paul Meuller Paul became a tireless supporter of
the sport becoming actively involved in the Amateur Skating Union, US Skating Association, International Skating Union and the United States Olympic Commit- tee. He earned the place of International referee & starter. He also earned the high honor of becoming the Short Track Olym- pic Leader in 1986 and 1992. In 1986, the World Short Track Championships were held in Chamonix, France. A skater by the name of Bonnie Blair began to make her mark on the ice, by winning the title of champion at the age of 19. Bonnie shared a fond memory of that particular trip; “my main memory of that trip was there was not much food served to us at meals and if there was anything
www.usspeedskating.org Winter 2012 RACING BLADE 15
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