Nutritional considerations for injury recovery -
Adding some nuance, those who have low calcium intakes or low blood vitamin D levels would benefit significantly more from this.
A study identified that 3 months post ACL surgery, low vitamin D status was linked with lower levels of strength in comparison to those with higher vitamin D. Vitamin D can also be relevant from an inflammation standpoint.
Obviously, you could aim for a food-first approach. This would involve getting ~mg of calcium per day through food and minutes of sunlight per day. Some people might need a bit more sun than that if they have darker skin.
From a supplemental perspective, if taking both, a supplement containing around mg calcium and IU vitamin D is often the gold standard. Since calcium absorption is a bit limited in a single sitting, it is even more beneficial to split the dosage and have at both morning and night.
If just supplementing vitamin D, IU is the most commonly recommended dosage. But if you have low blood levels, you could go a bit higher than that and address it quicker. I sometimes recommend as high as 10,IU per day for short periods of time, for those who are deficient.
We know that other nutrients like magnesium, antioxidants, vitamin K and zinc all play a role in injury recovery. But they are not things I personally would overly focus on individually.
Having an overall good quality diet will help you get enough of them though. Nutrition can play a role in injury recovery. Nailing your nutrition could shave some time off the recovery process and improve the odds of an effective recovery.
A lot of rehab protocols involve increases in muscle size and strength in certain areas. Imagine trying to do that with a low protein intake and on low calories.
Or alternatively, if consuming excess calories, it can make returning to sport at the same level lot harder. Aidan is a Brisbane based dietitian who prides himself on staying up-to-date with evidence-based approaches to dietetic intervention. He has long been interested in all things nutrition, particularly the effects of different dietary approaches on body composition and sports performance.
Due to this passion, he has built up an extensive knowledge base and experience in multiple areas of nutrition and is able to help clients with a variety of conditions. By having such a thorough understanding of optimal nutrition for different situations he is able to develop detailed meal plans and guidance for clients that can contribute to improving the clients overall quality of life and performance.
He offers services both in-person and online. Calories This section will likely be the largest section in this post, so it will be split into sub-headings. Avoid the Temptation to Cut Calories Dramatically The first temptation a lot of athletes have when they get injured is to cut calories significantly.
Fuel the Rehab Process Another aspect to consider is that you will likely be undertaking a rehab protocol that involves you aiming to get stronger and build muscle in certain areas. Challenges With Managing Calorie Intake There are a few challenges with managing your calorie intake while injured.
This is another reason why people have a temptation to dramatically cut calories. Protein Protein helps with many aspects of injury recovery It can help reduce the amount of muscle lost in the early stages.
It can help speed up the increase in muscle and strength which can be beneficial in a rehab process. It can help with managing appetite if that is an issue, and you are struggling with accidentally overconsuming calories.
Immobilisation vs Non-Immobilisation When an athlete who trains hard takes a break from training, it typically takes ~3 weeks before muscle loss is measurable. One of these steps is high protein intake.
This is quite a high intake. From another perspective though, I view this as a huge opportunity. Practical Challenges with Protein Intake While Injured There are two main challenges that can occur with trying to achieve that target.
What if your appetite has declined due to being less active? If you have a smaller calorie budget due to being less active, it is hard to get towards the upper end of the target without overshooting your calorie needs. Creatine Creatine helps with building muscle and strength. Best case scenario, it helps.
Worst case scenario it does not really do much. Dosage: g fish oil per day, if choosing to take it. Collagen or Gelatin Supplementation Collagen and gelatin supplementation have emerging research indicating they can help with recovery from musculoskeletal injuries.
Some common criticisms of collagen supplements are: The collagen peptides break down into amino acids. How is this different to consuming more protein in general? A large percentage of the body is made up of collagen.
How do we know it goes to where we want it to go? The evidence is mixed. A Look at the Evidence In terms of the evidence, while the evidence is mixed, all the research fitting the following criteria has shown positive outcomes: 15g or more of collagen protein Timed before rehab sessions Alongside vitamin C There also is not a lot of quality research on the topic.
MRI of Patellar Tendinopathy Case Study Over an month Period. You can see the area behind the patella at the top is damaged in the first image, but not the last. She is also the Senior Associate Editor for The International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy.
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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. If your athlete or patient is dealing with post-op nausea, recommend bland foods like bananas, rice, applesauce and toast, as well as smaller and more frequent meals with nutrient-dense liquids like smoothies.
Constipation can also occur after surgery, in which case you can recommend increasing fluid and fiber intake. If antibiotics are prescribed, include prebiotic and probiotic-rich foods to restore the beneficial bacteria involved in digestive and immune health that antibiotics can remove.
Prebiotic options include jicama, onion, garlic, asparagus, oats, wheat, barley and mushrooms. Probiotic options include yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, miso soup and kimchi. Increase protein intake alongside the amino acid leucine to maintain anabolic function during the immobilization phase.
Leucine rich foods include cheese, meat, fish, nuts and seeds and tempeh. For best results, consume 20 to 35 grams of leucine-rich protein every three hours during the day and before bed.
Control inflammation by swapping pro-inflammatory fats like fried and greasy foods, processed meats and vegetable oils with anti-inflammatory fats found in olive oil, avocado, fish, flax, nuts and seeds.
Antioxidant-rich fruits like goji berries, blueberries, tart cherries, elderberries and pineapple can also help control inflammation, and speed up healing.
While the athlete or patient may want to reduce carbohydrate intake to control body weight, whole grains provide many nutrients that fuel and support rehabilitation and healing. A board-certified specialist in sports dietetics CSSD can give individualized nutrition recommendations so the patient feels confident in his or her recovery plan.
Excessive alcohol intake can exacerbate muscle loss during immobilization, impair muscle building and contribute to inflammation. Make sure the athlete or patient is responsibly monitoring his or her alcohol intake.
Consider injury specific nutrition interventions that come with concussions, bone injuries, tendon and ligament injuries and orofacial injuries.
Read the full article for these specific nutritional recommendations. Caffeine can block adenosine receptors, which may reduce DOMS by deactivating the central nervous system.
Main sources of caffeine include coffee, tea and chocolate3 Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids containing eicosanoids such as eicosapentaenoic acid EPA and docosahexaenoic acid DHA. Injured tissue requires protein to repair and rebuild. It is important to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality protein when recovering from any injury or surgery.
We can also focus on specific nutrients that may be beneficial for different types of injuries or impairments;. Evidence also suggests that intake of omega fatty acids may prevent muscle loss during immobility. Vitamin C helps the body make collagen which is important for the integrity of bones, muscles, skin and tendon.
In fact, collagen is the most abundant protein in humans, comprising about one-third of total protein. Zinc is necessary for tissue repair and growth as well as immune system function. Research specifically supports the need for zinc to optimize wound healing.
When we think bone health, we think calcium. It is true that there is an increased need for calcium following a fracture.
In order for calcium to contribute to bone growth and strength, it needs to be balanced with magnesium, vitamin D3 and vitamin K2. These vitamins and minerals directly influence the absorption and metabolism of calcium within the body.
Nutrition is paramount to promote a healthy brain and therefore a crucial element to optimize recovery from a brain injury.
It is generally recommended to focus on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods to control the neuroinflammation which follows a brain injury and to prevent neurodegeneration.
Specific nutrients have demonstrated potential to be of particular benefit when recovering from a brain injury. We have discussed the need for zinc to promote tissue repair and when it comes to brain health, diets rich in zinc have shown promise in speeding up recovery from a traumatic brain injury.
Omegafatty acids are widely known to be important for brain health. Studies show that the therapeutic use of omegafatty acids may decrease axonal and neuronal damage as well as inflammation, and can even lead to improved cognitive function.
Finally, magnesium is a mineral that our bodies need for optimal sleep, energy and blood sugar balance. Depletion of magnesium is observed in human blood following a brain injury and it is therefore advised that patients ensure adequate magnesium in their diet for recovery.
However, uncontrolled or prolonged inflammation can lead to many unwanted results, including pain, stiffness, decreased function, depression and slower recovery.
Foods can either promote or inhibit this inflammatory process. Fats can play a significant role to either help or hinder this process.
This often has a lot to do with their influence on the inflammatory pathways. We can have a huge impact on our physical and mental functioning by considering what we are putting into our bodies as fuel. A well balanced, whole foods diet will go a long way towards setting you up for success when it comes to recovery.
What consideratipns Low-calorie diet for reducing cravings plays a huge recovwry in how injjury body functions and stays healthy. Everything we consume has an effect on our bodies. Recovry is like the fuel that Vegan energy solution us to function. Which cinsiderations you choose has a significant effect on how your body performs. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are giving it the correct fuel to allow you to perform optimally and to prevent injuries. Athletes are pushing their bodies to the limits, and while injuries are always a possibility, eating the right diet can help to reduce the risk of injury. You always want to be on top of your game!
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