WHAT I TAKE & WHY #3

Why I Take Vitamin D3 Every Day at 55

It's not a pre-workout supplement. It doesn't give me a muscle pump. But Vitamin D3 has become one of the supplements I consider most important in my daily routine.

After more than 40 years around training and sports nutrition, I've learned that staying healthy is just as important as training hard.

At 55, I still enjoy my workouts, but there's one thing I appreciate more than ever: being able to train consistently without unnecessary interruptions.

Nothing throws off a good training routine quite like getting sick. A bad cold or the flu can leave you feeling miserable, interrupt your workouts and make getting back into your normal routine frustrating.

That's one of the reasons Vitamin D3 has earned a permanent place in what I take every day.

Why Vitamin D3 Is So Important to Me

When most people think about sports supplements, they think about protein, creatine, amino acids and pre-workouts.

Vitamin D3 doesn't usually make that list.

But I've come to appreciate that looking after your overall health is an important part of maintaining an active lifestyle.

Vitamin D plays several important roles in the body, including supporting normal immune function, muscle function and bone health.

And as I get older, those are things I pay much more attention to.

After all, what's the point of having a great supplement routine if you're constantly missing workouts because you don't feel well?

What I've Personally Noticed

I've used Vitamin D3 consistently for years, and it's become one of those supplements I simply don't like being without.

One thing I've personally noticed is that I seem to get sick less frequently.

And when I do catch something, I often feel like I'm back to normal sooner than I used to be.

I've also been happy with how I recover from training.

Now, I can't tell you that Vitamin D3 is responsible for every one of those improvements. There are many factors involved in immune health and recovery, including sleep, nutrition, training and overall lifestyle.

And research doesn't show that taking more Vitamin D3 automatically means fewer colds or faster recovery.

But these are my personal observations, and they're part of why I've continued using it.

Your Immune System Is Part of Your Training Routine

This is something I think gets overlooked.

People spend a lot of time thinking about how to improve their workouts.

What supplement gives the best pump?

What helps with strength?

What supports muscle recovery?

Those are all worthwhile questions.

But how often do we think about the importance of simply staying healthy enough to train?

Vitamin D contributes to normal immune system function. Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels is one part of supporting overall health, although it certainly doesn't guarantee that you won't get sick.

For me, that's an important distinction.

I'm not taking Vitamin D3 because I expect it to prevent every cold. I'm taking it because maintaining good health is one of my priorities.

And staying healthy helps me stay consistent with the activities I enjoy.

Vitamin D3 and Muscle Function

Here's another reason Vitamin D3 interests me.

Vitamin D plays an established role in normal muscle function.

That's particularly relevant as we get older.

I've spent decades building and maintaining muscle, and today I'm much more interested in keeping what I've built than constantly trying to get bigger.

Research has linked low vitamin D status with certain muscle-related problems, particularly in older adults. Correcting a deficiency can be important, although taking additional D3 when your levels are already adequate hasn't consistently been shown to improve strength or athletic performance.

I don't consider Vitamin D3 a muscle-building supplement.

I consider it part of supporting the body that allows me to keep training.

That's a different way of looking at sports nutrition, but one that makes more sense to me today.

Why I Don't Think of Vitamin D3 as Just a Winter Supplement

Living in Canada, we're all familiar with the long winters and shorter days.

And because our bodies produce vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sufficient UVB sunlight, winter can make maintaining adequate vitamin D levels more challenging.

But I've never looked at Vitamin D3 as something that only matters during winter.

Your vitamin D status depends on several things, including sunlight exposure, diet, age and individual health factors.

Simply because it's summer doesn't necessarily mean everyone has adequate vitamin D.

That's why I prefer to think about Vitamin D3 as part of my year-round nutrition rather than something I automatically stop using when the weather gets warmer.

Of course, individual needs vary, and a blood test can help determine whether supplementation is necessary.

My Priorities Have Changed at 55

When I was younger, I was interested in anything that might help me train harder, get stronger or improve my performance.

Those things still interest me.

But today I also think about the bigger picture.

Am I maintaining my muscle?

Am I recovering well?

Am I getting enough sleep?

Am I looking after my overall health?

And perhaps most importantly:

Am I doing what I can to stay active for years to come?

That's where supplements like Vitamin D3 fit into my routine.

Not because they produce dramatic results overnight.

Not because they're the newest thing on the market.

But because supporting normal body function is important, whether you're training hard or simply trying to stay active as you get older.

Does Vitamin D3 Make My Other Supplements Work Better?

Not directly, and I wouldn't want anyone to misunderstand that.

Vitamin D3 doesn't magically make creatine, protein or amino acids more effective.

But I do believe there's a bigger lesson here.

You can buy the best sports supplements available, but they can't compensate for poor nutrition, inadequate sleep or underlying nutritional deficiencies.

Maintaining adequate vitamin D status is one part of that bigger picture.

I don't want to focus so much on improving my workouts that I overlook the basic nutritional needs of my body.

That's why Vitamin D3 belongs in my routine alongside the more traditional sports supplements I use.

Why Vitamin D3 Has Earned a Permanent Place in My Routine

At 55, I'm not interested in taking supplements simply because someone tells me they're popular.

I want to understand what they do, why they matter and whether they have a place in my daily routine.

Vitamin D3 is one of those supplements.

I appreciate its role in normal immune function, muscle function and bone health.

I personally feel good about how I've been recovering and maintaining my training consistency.

And I like knowing that I'm paying attention to something that matters beyond my next workout.

At 25, I was interested in supplements that helped me train harder. At 55, I'm just as interested in making sure I can keep training.

That's why Vitamin D3 remains part of what I take every day.

WHAT I TAKE & WHY

A look inside the supplement routine of FitShop's owner.

This series isn't about telling you to copy my supplement routine.

It's about sharing what I personally take, what I've learned after decades around training and sports nutrition, and why certain supplements have earned a permanent place in my life.

Some have stayed. Some I've stopped using.

I'll tell you why.