Because injured parts are usually immobilized, having a protein-rich diet can help reduce muscle loss and give you the nutrients you need to repair the damage. Essential fatty acids play a key role in the regulation of inflammation. Keep in mind that swelling is normal because it helps our body identify the area that needs to be repaired.

That said, prolonged inflammation can also slow down your recovery. In these cases, eating foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce excessive swelling.

At the same time, avoiding ingredients that have high omega-6 fatty acids may help lower the chances of long-term inflammation even more. Vitamin C plays a huge role in your recovery as it can help keep your skin, bones, and soft tissues in good condition.

It also has antioxidant properties, which can reduce the negative effects that free radicals and other pollutants have on your body. Finally, vitamin C also shows anti-inflammatory properties, making it an ideal booster for patients recovering from a bad trauma.

If the trauma is bad enough , it can result in broken bones. Depending on the part of the body and the activity you practice, this can translate to weeks or months of downtime.

In some scenarios, bone fractures can sideline athletes for a whole season, which puts a lot of focus on the recovery process. If you are looking for the best nutrition for injury recovery, then milk, cheese, and vegetables that contain a lot of calcium should be close to the top of the list.

Iron is an essential mineral that helps your body produce red blood cells and collagen, which in turn aids bone regeneration.

Magnesium promotes healthy nerve and muscle function, blood pressure, and bone production. Finally, potassium regulates muscular contractions and ensures your nerves are working properly. This vitamin helps store minerals in your bones and increases the amount of calcium your blood can absorb.

From deep cuts to bad infections, injuries can come in a variety of forms. Zinc is another essential mineral that plays a key role in wound healing. At the same time, having a diet low in zinc has been linked with delayed healing and a higher chance of infection.

This type of protein plays a critical role when it comes to repairing skin and cartilage. Instead, you should focus on giving your body the nutrients it needs to create this natural compound.

Collagen is made from vitamin C, copper, zinc, and a combination of additional proteins. That said, our body slowly loses the ability to make collagen, so working with a physician is crucial to finding the best approach. Besides being painful, a bad injury can keep you out of action for a long period of time.

In addition to taking your physical therapy seriously, you should also make changes to your diet in order to accelerate your recovery as much as possible. If you want to learn more about getting the best nutrition for injury recovery or our orthopedic services, please schedule an appointment and our team will be glad to help.

September 18, A bad diet can absolutely interfere with the systems that keep your body strong and resilient against injury. Poor diets, especially those with high levels of processed junk food and artificial ingredients, cannot support the healthy cellular turnover that limits new injuries and heals current damage.

For instance, foods high in refined carbohydrates think white flour and refined sugar are associated with increases in inflammation and oxidative stress, which can harm the immune system.

A damaged immune system cannot fight back against inflammation before or after an injury. Similarly, processed foods like sugary drinks and bakery products can slow down the digestive process and even dehydrate the digestive tract. The result? An extremely slow and occasionally painful digestive process that limits the amount of readily available nutrients for the body.

Injury recovery is a complex process, but the steps to support healthy healing are actually quite simple. With three main bodily systems powering recovery — the immune, circulatory, and digestive systems — your diet must cater to the needs of each system.

You should never be in an energy deficit — also known as cutting calories — while acutely recovering from injury. The recovery process is an anabolic or growth process, which requires that you have a growing environment.

Therefore, calories should never be restricted during this time. But reader beware, there are good calories and then there are bad calories you should avoid. Good calories are those that provide healthy fats and complex carbohydrates, like lentils, brown rice, and potatoes.

Bad calories are those that fail to provide your body with actual nutrition, like sugary sweets, refined flours, and fried fast food that lack vitamins and minerals.

Fresh, whole foods are your best shot at bulking out your grocery cart with healthy calories. These foods are the primary source of fuel in the injury recovery process and create the energy necessary to remove damaged cells and develop newer, healthier cells in their place.

Fresh fruit is the key to managing healthy inflammation levels post-injury. Fruit is packed with vitamins, like vitamins C, A, and E, that have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

In fact, certain fruits can even improve crucial blood flow to your injured tissue, like:. Not to mention, a deficiency in vitamins C and E can actively slow down tissue repair after an injury. For instance, a lack of vitamin C can reduce cell growth and the formation of new blood vessels, whereas a lack of vitamin E can cause excess scar formation around the wounded tissue.

Cruciferous vegetables are a rich source of phytonutrients and glucosinolates, plant-based compounds that can help lower inflammation and protect against further damage.

Phytonutrients and glucosinolates give cruciferous vegetables their deep green color, such as in produce like:. Most cruciferous vegetables — especially those listed above — are high in vitamins and minerals, like Vitamins A, C, and K. A healthy diet includes at least two and a half cups of vegetables per day.

Two cups of raw leafy vegetables, like kale and collard greens, is equal to a one-cup vegetable serving; whereas one cup of raw or cooked vegetables, like broccoli or Brussels sprouts, is equal to a one-cup vegetable serving.

Protein is one of the most important aspects of nutrition while actively healing an injury. A protein deficiency can ultimately impair cellular growth and the formation of new blood vessels, and decrease the ability of the immune system to lessen inflammation.

Adults should aim for approximately 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal, for a total of three to four meals per day. You can find protein in lean meats, like chicken or turkey breast, or in convenient protein powders or protein bars. Also aim to include 2 to 3 grams of Leucine per meal.

Leucine is one of three essential branched-chain amino acids BCAAs that provide energy to skeletal muscle and other tissue during exercise.

Leucine helps enhance tissue recovery post-injury and can be found in foods like poultry, fish, milk, and eggs. Inflammation is the primary injury symptom that can prolong recovery.

Fortunately, you can include healthy foods in your diet that help control this inflammation, particularly foods with omega-3 fatty acids. Though present in fish, you can also find essential omega-3 in foods like nuts and seeds like:. Nuts and seeds are also an awesome source of healthy carbs.

Stock up on nuts and seeds when grocery shopping to replace sugary breakfast cereals or snacks like pretzels and chips.

For instance, a lack of vitamin C can reduce cell growth and the formation of new blood vessels, whereas a lack of vitamin E can cause excess scar formation around the wounded tissue.

Cruciferous vegetables are a rich source of phytonutrients and glucosinolates, plant-based compounds that can help lower inflammation and protect against further damage.

Phytonutrients and glucosinolates give cruciferous vegetables their deep green color, such as in produce like:. Most cruciferous vegetables — especially those listed above — are high in vitamins and minerals, like Vitamins A, C, and K.

A healthy diet includes at least two and a half cups of vegetables per day. Two cups of raw leafy vegetables, like kale and collard greens, is equal to a one-cup vegetable serving; whereas one cup of raw or cooked vegetables, like broccoli or Brussels sprouts, is equal to a one-cup vegetable serving.

Protein is one of the most important aspects of nutrition while actively healing an injury. A protein deficiency can ultimately impair cellular growth and the formation of new blood vessels, and decrease the ability of the immune system to lessen inflammation.

Adults should aim for approximately 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal, for a total of three to four meals per day. You can find protein in lean meats, like chicken or turkey breast, or in convenient protein powders or protein bars.

Also aim to include 2 to 3 grams of Leucine per meal. Leucine is one of three essential branched-chain amino acids BCAAs that provide energy to skeletal muscle and other tissue during exercise. Leucine helps enhance tissue recovery post-injury and can be found in foods like poultry, fish, milk, and eggs.

Inflammation is the primary injury symptom that can prolong recovery. Fortunately, you can include healthy foods in your diet that help control this inflammation, particularly foods with omega-3 fatty acids.

Though present in fish, you can also find essential omega-3 in foods like nuts and seeds like:. Nuts and seeds are also an awesome source of healthy carbs. Stock up on nuts and seeds when grocery shopping to replace sugary breakfast cereals or snacks like pretzels and chips.

Herbs and spices have been proven to show anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Here are five herbs and spices to include in your cooking to enhance injury recovery:. What you put into your body dictates what you get out of it.

Be sure to avoid long-term energy deficits, like weight loss diets or short-term crash diets. These dietary changes — along with fasting — should always be supervised and monitored by a trained professional.

Similarly, avoid any overt deficiencies in protein, vitamins, and minerals. Tools like Cronometer. com or MyFitnessPal. Lastly, attempt to get the majority of your calories from a wide variety of minimally processed, whole foods that YOU digest and absorb well.

A cheat sheet for a generally healthy diet includes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, protein, complex carbohydrates, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Work with a holistic nutritionist to learn what foods digest and absorb best for you. What you eat today will impact your health within minutes to hours.

This means you can decide to overhaul your diet today and begin to experience the benefits almost immediately. While you might not be able to heal your injury overnight, you can fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to repair and protect itself from further damage.

Together, we can discuss dietary changes, optional nutraceuticals or supplements, and other lifestyle changes that can assist in a healthier, happier you. Nutrition plays a major role in injury recovery and prevention. How Does Nutrition Affect Injury Recovery? June 13 UPDATED: February 9 — BY Dr.

Check out how much nutrition truly affects injury recovery below! Can you find injury recovery in the grocery store? How Dr. Whether it be wound care, post-injury healing or everyday soreness from exercise, here are some evidence-based perspectives to help you guide your athletes, your patients or yourself through the landscape of nutritional choices throughout the healing process.

While you might not view wound care as an energy-draining process, the body actually demands an increased amount of energy so the wound can heal correctly. While the nutritional needs of patients will vary based on age, comorbidities, body weight, activity level, stage of the healing process and the severity, size and number of wounds, experts recommend caloric intake start at kcal per kg of body weight.

These experts also recommend focusing on the correct micro and macronutrients that are critical to maintain appropriate levels of energy to support the entire healing process.

Carbohydrates: In the proliferative phase of wound healing, carbohydrates stimulate insulin production, which is helpful in the anabolic processes.

Fats: Substantial fat consumption supplies additional energy to the wound healing process, as well as structural functions during tissue growth. One key role of protein is the maintenance of oncotic pressure, particularly in venous insufficiency wounds, where excess extraluminal pressure due to peripheral edema will exacerbate wound formation and slow wound healing.

Fluids: Fluid maintains skin turgor and promotes tissue perfusion and oxygenation during the wound healing process. The goal for fluid intake in patients with wounds is approximately 1 ml per kcal each day. Arginine: The amino acid arginine plays a diverse role in wound healing.

Arginine supplementation was observed to increase collagen deposition in wounds. Glutamine: Glutamine, another amino acid, decreases infectious complications and protects against inflammatory injury by inducing the expression of heat shock proteins. Additionally, glutamine appears to have a role in leukocyte apoptosis, superoxide production, antigen processing, and phagocytosis, all with implications on the inflammatory phase of wound healing.

Vitamine A: Vitamin A assists in wound closure. Topically-applied vitamin A has been used to stimulate epithelial growth, fibroblasts, and ground substance. Vitamin C: Vitamin C is believed to influence collagen formation, immunomodulation and antioxidant functions during wound healing.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D induces the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin to promote healing. Zinc: More than zinc-containing enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, are involved in wound healing. However, excess zinc supplementation can interfere with the absorption of other cations, specifically iron and copper.

Therefore, supplementation should be avoided unless deficiency is present. After suffering a musculoskeletal injury, the proper nutritional support can help the body regain optimal fuel for rehabilitation. Here are some of her top tips Delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, may not be as serious of an ailment or require a long recovery like wounds or musculoskeletal injuries.

Still, this natural result of regular exercise can be both healed and prevented by proper nutrition. In one review of nutritional intervention for DOMS , researchers reviewed four nutrients that have been suggested to aide sore muscles:. As you can tell from these recommendations, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is not only conductive to maintaining weight and building muscle.

It is not as simple as just how many calories you are ingesting, rather quality, variety, and excellent macro- and micronutrient distribution is important. A RDN can assist in building a plan that includes high quality foods. Hoogenboom is a professor and an associate program chair at Grand Valley State University, in the Department of Physical Therapy.

She was one of the first Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialists in West Michigan in , and has since been recertified twice by the ABPTS, most recently in She has been a Certified Athletic Trainer since She maintains a clinical practice by volunteering at the GVSU Pro Bono clinic.

Barb is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and a member of the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy, where she has been honored with the Academy's highest award, The Ron Peyton Award, and is also a member of the Turner A.

Blackburn Sports Physical Therapy Hall of Fame. She also received the "Lifetime Excellence in Education" award from the AASPT. She is a member of the Female Athlete Triad Coalition, and The Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.

Barb enjoys clinical research, and has authored many research and clinical commentary articles on the female athlete, nutrition, functional movement, and movement analysis. She has contributed to 10 textbooks and 5 Home Study Courses on various musculoskeletal topics. She is the editor of the therapeutic exercise textbook entitled "Therapeutic Exercise: Techniques for Intervention" the third edition of which was released in

Immediately after the injury occurs, you may rush home to ice the affected area and pop some anti-inflammatory medicine. While you hope it is just minor and heals on its own, if pain persists you may need to seek medical attention from a sports medicine doctor or orthopedic surgeon.

Oftentimes, weeks of physical therapy can help to heal and strengthen the injury and in the worst case, surgery may be needed. While these are the obvious steps to take after a sports injury, focusing on nutrition may be an important piece not to overlook.

Eating for your injury and choosing the right foods may help you heal faster and speed up your recovery. Here is what you should know about sports injuries and what foods and nutrients to focus on so you can return to your sport as quickly as possible. Sports injuries may occur while participating in exercise or a sport.

You may be at risk for a sports injury if you don't warm up properly before working out, aren't regularly active, or play a contact sport. Injuries can also occur from repetitive use or overuse. Contact sports, such as football and basketball, see more sports injuries than non-contact sports, such as running and swimming.

But injuries can occur in any sport. Sports injuries also vary greatly in terms of severity. Some may mean taking a few days off from activity to rest and repair the injury and others may entail weeks to months of rest and rehabilitation.

Many sports injuries happen immediately and cause pain and discomfort right away. Other types, such as overuse injuries, can creep up over time and may not be noticed until long-term damage occurs.

It is important to rest even if an injury is very minor. Complicated and more serious injuries can grow from small ones, so take care as soon as possible and try to not let a less severe injury go untreated. If you suspect that you have an injury—even a minor one—it is important to see a healthcare provider for accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan.

Accurate diagnosis, rest, and recovery are imperative to healing and getting back on your feet. Food plays an important role in metabolism, energy production, hemoglobin synthesis, lean mass and bone mass maintenance, reducing inflammation, and improving immunity.

These characteristics are vital when recovering from injury. Getting adequate nutrition means you will heal faster. In fact, calorie and nutrient needs are even higher than usual in order to fight sarcopenia, which is the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength.

When an injury occurs, the body requires more energy and protein from nutritious foods to aid in the healing process. Ensuring the correct amount, timing, and frequency of protein intake has shown to increase strength and prevent muscle mass loss during recovery. While some research points to whey protein as the most favorable type of protein, other research shows no significant differences between type of protein and that amount of protein consumed was more important to promote healing.

Additionally, certain foods can help fight inflammation that occurs during an injury. When you get injured, inflammation can occur within 1 to 2 hours. During this process neutrophils flood the affected area and remove cellular debris, which is followed by a regenerative response where new cells replace previously damaged ones.

Although inflammation is actually a helpful part in healing process, it should not go on for too long—which is where anti-inflammatory foods are key. There are a variety of specific foods and nutrients that are important to focus on when injured.

Including these foods daily may help in the healing process and speed up your recovery. Here's what your daily nutrition should consist of when you are recovering from an injury. Protein prevents the loss of lean muscle mass, especially when the injury requires the body part to be immobilized.

As a result, higher protein intakes are necessary to maintain strength and heal the injury. Frequently when injuries occur, the athlete may reduce their intake due to less movement. If all macronutrients are proportional, this means that protein intake is decreased as well, which may impede wound healing and increase inflammation.

Studies show that increasing total protein has better outcomes on muscle protein synthesis and injury healing. Timing of protein intake also plays an important role in recovery.

Protein foods to focus on are eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, and steak. Dairy foods such as yogurt, cheese, and milk are also good sources of protein. If you want more plant-based protein sources look to tofu, beans, nuts, tempeh, edamame, and soy milk.

According to research, omega-3 fatty acids from food and supplements may be beneficial for sports injuries due to their anti-inflammatory properties.

Animal models show that omega-3 fatty acids can alter muscle metabolism and affect the way it responds to exercise. The research shows that a muscle already nourished with omega-3 fatty acids may respond differently to a trajectory of humans diseases, including injury.

It is important to note that animal research does not necessarily translate to human conditions. While it is important to consume foods high in omega-3 fatty acids following injury to decrease inflammation, there is further evidence to suggest they are important to eat on a regular basis as well to improve outcomes.

Food sources rich in omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, and cod liver oil, flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and soybeans. Although not as high in omega-3s, pasture-raised eggs, some meats and dairy products, hemp seeds, and spinach contain smaller amounts.

One study highlights the consumption of a Mediterranean diet high in omega-3s and monounsaturated fats can help decrease inflammation in the cartilage after injury, preventing osteoarthritis.

Vitamin D is best known for its role in bone health, but research also shows it plays a role in skeletal muscle growth, immune and cardiopulmonary functions, and inflammatory modulation. All of these factors are important for athletic performance and injury recovery. Additionally, vitamin D deficiency is common in the general population as well as in athletes, which can lead to complications such as depression and osteoporosis.

Meanwhile, high serum levels of vitamin D are associated with reduced injury rates and better sports performance due its role in increasing muscle strength. If you are an athlete or engage in sports activities, it is a good idea to get your vitamin D levels tested by your healthcare provider.

Food sources of vitamin D include cod liver oil, salmon, swordfish, tuna, orange juice, milk, and plant milks fortified with vitamin D, egg yolks, and fortified breakfast cereals. UVB light from the sun can also form vitamin D through a chemical reaction in the skin.

But, it is best to balance your exposure by using sunscreen when spending large blocks of time outdoors. Vitamin C plays a major role in many phases of wound and injury healing. In the beginning phases, it is responsible for clearing the neutrophils from the inflamed site.

Vitamin C also contributes to synthesis, maturation, and secretion of collagen. The body works to maintain high levels of vitamin C to ensure availability for collagen synthesis.

When a wound or injury occurs, vitamin C can become depleted and supplements may be needed. One review studies looked at studies that studied vitamin C supplementation on musculoskeletal injuries. The studies showed that vitamin C supplementation may be beneficial to accelerate bone healing after a fracture, increase collagen synthesis, and reduce oxidative stress.

Food sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, bell pepper, tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, and white potatoes. If you are considering taking vitamin C supplements, talk to a healthcare provider to determine if your current medications may be impacted and to determine the best dose for you.

Along with vitamin D, calcium works to maintain bone health in athletes. There are many known benefits to weight-bearing exercise on bone health, but without adequate calories and nutrients, bone health may suffer and put the athlete at risk for osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Bone stress injuries are a concern in athletes and modifiable risk factors include physical activity, energy availability, and calcium and vitamin D status. Foods rich in calcium include dairy and fortified plant-milks, cheese, yogurt, fortified orange juice, tofu, edamame, canned sardines and salmon with bones, and almonds.

Zinc is an important mineral involved in immunity, metabolism, and anti-oxidative processes. One study reviewed zinc status in athletes compared to the control population. The study found that despite high zinc intake, serum zinc concentrations were lower in athletes.

This data suggests that athletes have a higher zinc requirement compared to those are not physically active. Another study looked at the role minerals play in age-related muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance. Zinc status was positively associated with physical performance in older adults.

Zinc is important nutrient to prevent injuries as one ages. Food sources of zinc include whole grains, dairy products, oysters, red meat, poultry, chickpeas, and nuts.

Magnesium is involved in hundreds of biological processes making it essential for preventing and healing sports injuries. It is required to maintain normal nerve and muscle function, heart rhythm, blood pressure, the immune system, bone integrity, blood glucose levels, and promotes calcium absorption.

Studies show magnesium to be a significant predictor of bone mineral density in athletes, even after adjusting for calories, vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus.

Foods rich in magnesium include nuts and seeds. black beans, edamame, lima beans, quinoa, yogurt, spinach. and dark chocolate. If your injury leads you to a healthcare provider always follow their recommendations.

You may need a series of imaging scans, such as MRIs, and you may need to work with a physical therapist. Listen to their guidance before returning to your sport. For example, they may want you to limit your mileage running or the amount of time playing in the beginning and work up slowly.

Going back too intensely too fast can result in a re-injury and sidelining you even longer. In addition to nutrition, adequate sleep and stress reduction plays a critical a role in speeding up recovery.

One study examined the effect of sleep deprivation on muscle injury recovery due to high-intensity exercise in mice. The study found that sleep deprivation reduces muscle protein synthesis, which slows the repair of muscle, slowing the healing process.

You also may want to employ stress-reduction techniques to improve stress management in order to speed up the healing process. After all, an injury is both physically painful as well as mentally taxing, especially if the injury is keeping you from achieving your goals.

One study used a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction intervention to reduce the perception of pain, decrease stress and anxiety, and increase the positive mood in injured athletes. Consequently, the researchers recommend mindfulness be used as part of the rehabilitation process.

While sports injuries are certainly discouraging, with the right nutrition, sleep, and stress reduction regimen in place, you are more likely to be back on your feet in no time. Be sure to include lots of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and many micronutrients in your diet to help fuel your body during the healing process.

You also should prioritize sleep and stress management during your rehabilitation period and always listen to the recommendations of your healthcare provider or physical therapist before returning to your sport.

By adhering to their guidance and caring for your body you will be back doing what you love in no time. Foods that help to heal wounds include foods high in protein, vitamin C, and zinc. Focus on beef, chicken, seafood, and beans, strawberries, citrus fruits, and broccoli, and fortified grains.

Eating well, sleeping, and stress management can help your body heal faster. Focus on healing foods rich in protein, omega-3s, vitamin C, and zinc and be sure to prioritize sleep and stress reduction techniques.

Food can certainly be medicine when it comes to injury recovery. Good nutrition decreases inflammation, provides key nutrients to tissue-building cells, and minimizes muscle atrophy to preserve strength.

Papadopoulou SK. Rehabilitation nutrition for injury recovery of athletes: The role of macronutrient intake. Haltmeier T, Inaba K, Schnüriger B, et al. Factors affecting the caloric and protein intake over time in critically ill trauma patients. J Surg Res. Reidy P. Role of ingested amino acids and protein in the promotion of resistance exercise—induced muscle protein anabolism.

Chen L, Deng H, Cui H, et al. Inflammatory responses and inflammation-associated diseases in organs. Published Dec Tipton KD. The goal for fluid intake in patients with wounds is approximately 1 ml per kcal each day. Arginine: The amino acid arginine plays a diverse role in wound healing.

Arginine supplementation was observed to increase collagen deposition in wounds. Glutamine: Glutamine, another amino acid, decreases infectious complications and protects against inflammatory injury by inducing the expression of heat shock proteins. Additionally, glutamine appears to have a role in leukocyte apoptosis, superoxide production, antigen processing, and phagocytosis, all with implications on the inflammatory phase of wound healing.

Vitamine A: Vitamin A assists in wound closure. Topically-applied vitamin A has been used to stimulate epithelial growth, fibroblasts, and ground substance. Vitamin C: Vitamin C is believed to influence collagen formation, immunomodulation and antioxidant functions during wound healing.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D induces the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin to promote healing. Zinc: More than zinc-containing enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, are involved in wound healing. However, excess zinc supplementation can interfere with the absorption of other cations, specifically iron and copper.

Therefore, supplementation should be avoided unless deficiency is present. After suffering a musculoskeletal injury, the proper nutritional support can help the body regain optimal fuel for rehabilitation. Here are some of her top tips Delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, may not be as serious of an ailment or require a long recovery like wounds or musculoskeletal injuries.

Still, this natural result of regular exercise can be both healed and prevented by proper nutrition. In one review of nutritional intervention for DOMS , researchers reviewed four nutrients that have been suggested to aide sore muscles:.

As you can tell from these recommendations, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is not only conductive to maintaining weight and building muscle. It is not as simple as just how many calories you are ingesting, rather quality, variety, and excellent macro- and micronutrient distribution is important.

A RDN can assist in building a plan that includes high quality foods. Hoogenboom is a professor and an associate program chair at Grand Valley State University, in the Department of Physical Therapy. She was one of the first Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialists in West Michigan in , and has since been recertified twice by the ABPTS, most recently in She has been a Certified Athletic Trainer since She maintains a clinical practice by volunteering at the GVSU Pro Bono clinic.

Barb is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and a member of the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy, where she has been honored with the Academy's highest award, The Ron Peyton Award, and is also a member of the Turner A.

Blackburn Sports Physical Therapy Hall of Fame. She also received the "Lifetime Excellence in Education" award from the AASPT. She is a member of the Female Athlete Triad Coalition, and The Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. Barb enjoys clinical research, and has authored many research and clinical commentary articles on the female athlete, nutrition, functional movement, and movement analysis.

She has contributed to 10 textbooks and 5 Home Study Courses on various musculoskeletal topics. She is the editor of the therapeutic exercise textbook entitled "Therapeutic Exercise: Techniques for Intervention" the third edition of which was released in She is also the Senior Associate Editor for The International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy.

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Expert Nutrition Guidelines for Injury Recovery By: Rebecca Moore Add to Favorites. Nutrition Guidance for Wound Care While you might not view wound care as an energy-draining process, the body actually demands an increased amount of energy so the wound can heal correctly.

Macronutrients to Monitor During Wound Care Carbohydrates: In the proliferative phase of wound healing, carbohydrates stimulate insulin production, which is helpful in the anabolic processes. Here are some of her top tips:2 Post-Injury Nutritional Tips Trauma or surgery may require up to 20 percent more calories, and crutching requires two to three times more energy than walking.