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Even when we are at our optimal performance level, there are other factors at play that can still lead to injury: High stress levels Poor sleep Poor nutrition How we fuel is important for how we build and repair muscles, how we produce energy for peak performance, and how we maintain that energy.
The Basics: Nutrition Adequate Daily Energy: We need calories! Macronutrients: These are major nutrients in our diets we need in large amounts. Typically we are referring to carbs, proteins, and fats. In athletes, macros are vital to support your metabolism, brain health, immunity, muscle growth, hormone balance, and bone health.
Micronutrients: These are vitamins and minerals: what we need in smaller amounts for proper body functioning and metabolic processes. THE TRIANGLE OF NUTRITION For overall health and nutrition, we should start with a strong foundation of energy from calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients.
Importance of Nutrition for Athletes Performance, health, and injury prevention and rehab all rely on nutrition. Often, nutrition takes a back seat but it really is the foundation of injury prevention and rehab.
Injury Prevention: Injury rehab: Incremental training load - introduce more training overtime and build up from there. Stretching - both before and after a workout Sleep - important for recovery and repair Rest days - also important for recovery and repair See a physical therapist or other specialist Slow reintroduction to training Plenty of sleep Ample rest days Nutritional Strategies to Prevent Injuries 1.
add variety It is important to mix up your diet so you can ensure you're getting all of your necessary micronutrients. make a plan This doesn't necessarily mean meal planning as that can cause food fatigue, but a good idea is to make a master list of meals and then pull from that list for groceries each week.
Nutrient timing Time your meals to boost performance and increase calories to decrease energy deficiencies. Nutrition as a Rehab Tool Sometimes injuries are just unavoidable - here's how to aid the recovery process: Take in enough energy from calories Avoid calorie restriction and energy deficits - DO NOT RESTRICT CALORIES.
When injured nutrition plays a vital role since you actually need more nutrients and calories coming in because your body is scrambling to heal. This requires increased energy metabolism and output.
When you reduce calorie intake during an injury, your rate of muscle loss is accelerated because your body is pulling energy from protein. So lack of exercise and reduction in nutrients coming in will increase muscle loss.
Increase protein to 2g per kg of body weight to maintain muscle mass During an injury, your immune system is activated and that causes rapid turnover of those immune cells - many of those are proteins themselves. To offset that cell turnover and nitrogen loss, you should consume more protein, specifically high-quality protein high in leucine.
Leucine is an amino acid which is a top stimulator of muscle protein synthesis Foods containing leucine are: eggs, dairy products, soy products, meat. Protein supplements can also help, such as Gnarly Whey or Gnarly Vegan.
Continue eating consistent, well-balanced meals, and consume your colors! Both of these will ensure you get your micros and macros. Stay hydrated Fueling with water is necessary so your body can deliver those necessary nutrients and immune system components to the site of the injury to decrease inflammation and start to heal and repair.
Staying hydrated will also help flush out lactic acid, and hydrate our tissues so they can function properly. Gnarly Hydrate is a great supplement to add to your diet to help stay hydrated as well.
Dangers of Energy Deficits Energy deficits come from restricting calories. It can easily lead to: Increased risk of injury Slowed recovery process Malnutrition This is because the body will typically choose to pull protein from muscles for energy first, because we need fat for organ and cell protection.
Short term goals: Eat consistently, simply, and with a plan Time your nutrients Specifically carbs and proteins Avoid dehydration Gnarly Hydrate Support recovery Gnarly Collagen Pro Avoid energy deficits Support performance with ergogenic aids if appropriate Gnarly BCAAS Gnarly Pump Gnarly Pre Workout Get adequate sleep and take rest days as needed There isn't any " one size fits all " plan when it comes to nutrition, but when looking for a plan, take into consideration your health, your history, your background, your eating arrangements i.
from a cafeteria, only can access a microwave, etc. For athletes, this is generally not recommended. It narrows down window of consumption, minimizing your chance to get all of the nutrients you need.
It also limits when you can train as you won't want to train on an empty stomach. It can also easily trigger past disordered eating. There is also not a ton of research showing that it helps with performance or recovery. Complex carbs vs. simple carbs: Typically, it is recommended to fuel with carbs within a hour time frame before a race or competition.
A general rule of thumb is 1g of carbs per kg of body weight one hour before, 2g of carbs per kg of body weight two hours before, etc. What to consume before early morning workouts: This really depends on the activity - high intensity workouts would require eating more than low intensity workouts.
It is generally always recommended to consume some type of carb-rich snack before any workout. Early in the morning, this could just be some toast, a granola bar, yogurt with fruit, an energy tube, etc. An energy drink could also be beneficial to a morning workout if that is something you would like.
Coming back from a big injury, like an ACL tear: When recovering from a big injury, it is important to get back to your basic diet by eating consistently and bumping up the calories you consume from protein.
Collagen is also really important because helps with collagen synthesis in the body, so it can help recovery with connective tissue injuries especially. Collagen supplements should be taken only in addition to your consistent and wholesome diet, not in replacement of high-quality foods, however.
Try Gnarly Collagen Pro if you're interested in adding a collagen supplement to your diet. Post-exercise nutrition: It is important to consume protein within a two-hour window after exercising, especially for women.
Men have this window open for up to 21 hours after exercise, while women only have a two-hour window. A carb and protein rich snack is recommended to replenish carbs, support muscle growth and recovery, and prevent muscle soreness.
ABOUT the nutritionist Caitlin Holmes Caitlin is a functional sports nutritionist who specializes in climbing nutrition. About the Host : Caitlin Holmes Caitlin is a functional sports nutritionist who specializes in climbing nutrition.
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: Injury prevention and nutritional support| How Your Eating Habits Can Reduce the Chance of Injury - Coastal Orthopedics | Shaw , G. Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:. However, changes in indices of muscle damage occur in the order of hours [ , , ]. Book Appointment. In particular, muscle size and strength are lost when there is negative balance between myofibrillar MPS and MPB. |
| Nutritional Considerations for Injury Prevention and Recovery in Combat Sports | Our Story. Dreyer et al. Article CAS PubMed Nutrjtional Scholar Biolo G, Agostini F, Simunic B, et al. Sousa M, Teixeira VH, Soares J. Recovery facilitation with Montmorency cherries following high-intensity, metabolically challenging exercise. |
| Impacts of Nutrition for Injury Recovery and Prevention - Sydney Sports and Exercise Physiology | Therefore, whereas preclinical and preliminary data on the impact of n-3FA for recovery from TBI are promising, solid recommendations to include n-3FA in a treatment regimen cannot be made, at least until the results of the ongoing clinical trials are reported. Several methods have been used to perform the eccentric contractions, including eccentric resistance exercise, dynamometers, stepping down from a bench or block and downhill running [ ]. Recent evidence suggests that oversupply of lipids decreases insulin sensitivity and impairs the response of MPS to amino acids [ 57 ]. Exercise-induced muscle damage: What is it, what causes it and what are the nutritional solutions? Gibson JN, Halliday D, Morrison WL, et al. J Orthop Trauma. Dietary protein distribution positively influences h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults. |
Injury prevention and nutritional support -
During the healing process, energy expenditure is increased, particularly if the injury is severe [ 48 ]. Thus, whereas reduced physical activity and training may result in reduced total energy expenditure, the overall reduction may be less than appears obvious. Moreover, the energy cost of ambulation may need to be considered.
If an athlete must use crutches, the energy expenditure for ambulation is increased two- to threefold [ 47 ].
Therefore, the total energy expenditure may not decrease as much as may be at first thought, particularly if the athlete does not voluntarily restrict movement during recovery.
An effort to attain energy balance during recovery from injury is critical. If restriction of energy intake is too severe, recovery almost certainly will be slowed due to negative metabolic consequences. Negative energy balance will interfere with wound healing [ 48 ] and exacerbate muscle loss [ 49 , 50 ].
MPS is an energetically expensive process. It has been estimated that a well-muscled male expends ~ kcal a day on MPS even without the consideration of physical activity [ 51 ]. Given that decreased synthesis of myofibrillar proteins is the major metabolic contributor to muscle loss, if sustained, this energy deficit will result in accelerated loss of muscle mass [ 49 ].
Moreover, impaired MPS and negative energy balance, per se, will slow wound healing. Much care should be taken to ensure that sufficient energy is consumed during recovery from an injury. Whereas, negative energy balance is clearly to be avoided, a large positive energy balance also is undesirable for optimal healing and recovery.
Positive energy balance results in increased lean body mass BM in healthy humans [ 54 ]. Thus, it may be appealing to suggest a positive energy balance during immobilization, even considering a small increase in body fat. However, there is evidence that a positive energy balance actually accelerates muscle loss during inactivity, most likely via activation of systemic inflammation [ 55 ].
However, these data stem from a bed rest study, and it is not clear how much systemic inflammation is increased with limb immobility. Moreover, excess energy with reduced activity leads to decreased insulin sensitivity and alterations in muscle and adipose metabolism [ 56 ].
Therefore, careful assessment of energy balance via techniques such as indirect calorimetry during both the period of inactivity and rehabilitation may be well worthwhile. It also is possible that energy, per se, may not be the most important factor to consider. The macronutrient composition of the energy may be an operative factor.
Recent evidence suggests that oversupply of lipids decreases insulin sensitivity and impairs the response of MPS to amino acids [ 57 ]. Thus, both energy and macronutrient intake must be considered very carefully.
If reduced energy intake is warranted, factors promoting satiety despite a reduced energy intake, including protein dose and type, plus low energy density choices such as vegetables need to be considered [ 58 ].
The macronutrient most prominently associated with nutrition support for injuries involving immobility is protein. Given a reduction in overall energy intake, if protein intake is kept proportional, an absolute reduction in protein intake is likely. Clearly, insufficient protein intake will impede wound healing and increase inflammation to possibly deleterious levels [ 59 , 60 ].
Given that muscle loss results from decreased synthesis of myofibrillar proteins [ 23 ], and that the healing processes are heavily reliant on synthesis of collagen and other proteins [ 15 ], the importance of protein should be obvious. Moreover, the reduction in protein intake, per se, may have a detrimental impact on muscle metabolism—even if the overall intake remains at or near the recommended dietary allowance 0.
This disruption may be particularly evident if habitual protein intake is high, e. A drastic decrease in protein intake results in negative nitrogen balance [ 61 ]. During negative energy balance, this loss of nitrogen is almost certainly from muscle [ 52 ].
We recently demonstrated that athletes consuming relatively high protein intakes ~2. Thus, it may be that relatively high protein intakes, i.
However, it should be considered that no direct comparison of 1. Consequently, it is not clear if the preservation of muscle in our study was due to increasing the protein intake from habitual ~1. Moreover, during bed rest, increasing protein intake from 1.
A potential contributor to the difference between these studies is that the participants in the bed rest study were female [ 62 ]. The influence of sex on the response of muscle to disuse and protein ingestion remains to be elucidated. Nevertheless, it seems clear that appropriate evaluation of habitual protein intake that helps inform recommendations for protein intake after injury should be made.
Other factors in relation to protein should be considered in addition to the absolute amount of protein intake. The pattern of protein intake in terms of timing and amount in each meal is an important factor.
The importance of protein intake stems from the resulting hyperaminoacidaemia and increased MPS [ 63 , 64 ]. In healthy, active muscle ~20—25 g 0.
However, given the onset of anabolic resistance with immobility and reduced activity [ 23 , 34 , 35 ], it is likely that the amount of protein in each dose necessary to maximally stimulate MPS in immobilized muscle will be increased [ 66 ]. Moreover, the overall response of MPS throughout the day is optimized when this amount of protein is spread equally over the day [ 67 , 68 ].
This evenly spaced protein intake pattern is markedly different from the pattern habitually used by most athletes [ 69 , 70 ]. Thus, whereas the impact of meal pattern on the response of MPS during reduced activity is unknown, it seems prudent to recommend that athletes should plan their meal pattern to optimize MPS and ameliorate the loss of muscle protein.
The response of MPS to protein ingestion stems from the EAA content of the protein i. nonessential amino acids are not necessary for maximal stimulation of MPS [ 71 , 72 ]. Thus, EAA supplementation has been recommended for amelioration of muscle loss during muscle disuse following injury.
During prolonged bed rest [ 73 ] and joint immobilization [ 74 ], EAA supplementation has been shown to reduce the loss of muscle mass and strength. However, the dose of EAA may be critical. Smaller doses of EAA failed to prevent muscle loss during bed rest [ 75 ].
The volunteers in that study were in negative energy balance. So, it is unclear if the smaller dose of EAA may have been more effective during energy balance. Moreover, unlike many other proposed interventions, there has been direct measurement of muscle loss with EAA supplementation following an injury.
Dreyer et al. Of course, it is not certain that injured athletes would experience a similar response to EAA ingestion after injury. Thus, whereas there is not a complete lack of equivocation, there is at least some evidence of efficacy of EAA supplementation during immobilization.
Moreover, it is not clear if EAA supplementation is more effective than consuming whole proteins containing the same amount of EAA. Given the cost and taste of EAA supplements, intact proteins may be preferred. The potential for EAA supplementation to ameliorate muscle loss during disuse may be attributed to the branched-chain amino acid leucine, as it has long been known to increase protein synthesis in rodent and cell models [ 77 , 78 ].
Moreover, recent evidence suggests that leucine ingestion increases MPS in healthy humans [ 79 ]. Thus, the use of leucine to ameliorate muscle loss is often touted [ 80 ]. However, the impact of leucine on human MPS and muscle loss during disuse is less clear.
Leucine has been shown to restore impaired MPS in rats [ 81 , 82 ] and ameliorates muscle loss in rats during immobilization [ 83 ].
Furthermore, supplementation of branched-chain amino acids attenuated the nitrogen loss during bed rest, but did not impact MPS [ 84 ]. However, it is possible that leucine may be more effective by overcoming the resistance of muscle to anabolic stimulation.
MPS was measured in the fasting state in the bed rest study [ 84 ], so there was no assessment of the impact of leucine on anabolic resistance. In older humans, increasing the amount of leucine restored the response of MPS to protein ingestion [ 85 , 86 ].
Moreover, leucine ingestion increases the utilization of ingested amino acids for MPS [ 87 ]. Thus, leucine could play an important role in situations with limited energy and protein intake, such as with injuries. Nevertheless, to date no study has directly investigated the response of muscle to leucine or branched-chain amino acid ingestion during a period of muscle disuse following an injury in humans.
There are also potential negative effects with use of high-dose leucine supplementation. Thus, caution is warranted prior to making recommendations for leucine supplementation during muscle disuse.
Clearly, the evidence is intriguing and this intervention should be attempted in future studies. There is a theoretical rationale for the efficacy for increased consumption of a variety of nutrients other than protein and amino acids during immobilization or reduced activity following injury.
These nutrients include, but are not limited to, creatine, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. Again it must be emphasized that deficiencies of these nutrients, and others, will impair wound healing and slow recovery. However, evidence that supplementation of nutrients on top of an ample supply will enhance recovery from injury is scarce.
Creatine supplementation is widely used to enhance muscle gains during resistance exercise training [ 88 ]. Furthermore, creatine supplementation has been shown to counteract disorders of muscle [ 89 ].
However, the evidence for use of creatine to counter muscle loss during immobility is less clear. Creatine supplementation during 2 weeks of lower-limb immobility in otherwise healthy volunteers did not lessen the loss of muscle mass or strength in healthy volunteers during 2 weeks of casting [ 90 ].
Moreover, muscle strength was not improved by creatine supplementation following total knee arthroplasty [ 91 ]. On the other hand, muscle atrophy in immobilized arm muscle was decreased with creatine supplementation [ 92 ]. Thus, it could be that arm and leg muscles respond differently to creatine supplementation during immobility.
Moreover, creatine supplementation did prevent a decrease in GLUT4 content during immobilization but increased it to a greater extent than placebo during rehabilitation [ 44 ]. Thus, despite questions about the impact on muscle atrophy, creatine may have a positive impact on the muscle oxidative impairments observed during muscle disuse [ 31 , 42 — 44 ].
During rehabilitation after immobility, creatine supplementation resulted in an increased rate of muscle growth and strength gains compared with placebo [ 90 ]. Thus, the efficacy of creatine supplementation for augmentation of muscle hypertrophy seems to be a consistent finding, but results of investigations on creatine and muscle atrophy are more equivocal.
Omega-3 fatty acids n-3FA also have received considerable attention in the context of nutritional support for injuries. In many cases, this attention is related to the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of n-3FA [ 93 , 94 ]. High levels of n-3FA are found in many foods, particularly some cold-water dwelling fish e.
mackerel, salmon. Thus, fish oil supplementation is often touted for reduction of inflammation. Supplementation with n-3FA certainly may be important if inflammation is excessive or prolonged [ 93 ].
However, as mentioned previously, careful consideration of the use of anti-inflammatory nutrients or drugs is necessary given the importance of the inflammatory response for wound healing [ 18 — 20 ]. There is evidence of impaired wound healing with n-3FA supplementation [ 95 , 96 ].
Thus, an automatic recommendation of n-3FA supplementation for all injuries does not seem wise. Another potential property of n-3FA that may have relevance for injuries resulting in immobilization or reduced activity has recently been investigated.
Rats fed high amounts of fish oil during hind limb immobilization demonstrated less muscle loss than those rats on high corn oil diets [ 97 ]. Moreover, 8 weeks of fish oil supplementation increased the response of MPS to hyperaminoacidaemia and hyperinsulinaemia in both older [ 98 ] and younger volunteers [ 99 ].
The efficacy for fish oil in this context is thought to be due to changes in the muscle membrane lipid composition in relation to intracellular anabolic signalling [ 98 — ]. This preliminary evidence suggests that fish oil supplementation could play a role in the amelioration of muscle loss with disuse.
Then again, high fish oil diets inhibited recovery of muscle mass during recovery from hind limb suspension in rodents [ ]. Taken together, it seems that whereas high fish oil n-3FA consumption may ameliorate muscle loss during a catabolic situation, it does not seem to be effective to enhance muscle hypertrophy.
Moreover, the appropriate dose for injured humans has not been established. Thus, wholesale recommendations for fish oil supplementation during immobilization must be considered premature and caution is warranted. There is a clear association of many micronutrients, such as zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A and others , with various aspects of wound healing and recovery from injury, including muscle disuse.
For example, vitamin C is associated with hydroxyproline synthesis necessary for collagen formation. For most micronutrients the story is similar, i. deficiencies should be avoided, but supplementation above sufficiency does not appear warranted. Sufficient calcium and vitamin D during healing from fractures is important for optimal bone formation.
Moreover, there is an association of low vitamin D status with impaired recovery from knee surgery [ ]. However, there is no clear evidence for the necessity of supranormal micronutrient intakes during recovery from injury [ 59 ]. Oxidative damage is often a concern immediately following an injury.
Oxidative damage is thought to be a contributing factor for muscle loss, primarily by increasing MPB [ ]. Thus, antioxidant compounds, including n-3FA, have been commonly recommended to improve healing and recovery [ 60 , ]. Antioxidant supplementation in rodent models results in decreased oxidative stress, but equivocal results in terms of muscle loss with immobility [ ].
In high doses, there does seem to be some impact of antioxidant supplementation on muscle loss in rodents. However, equivalent doses likely would be problematic and potentially toxic if taken by humans [ ]. Lower doses that might be better tolerated tend not to be as effective.
In one human study, vitamin C and E supplementation failed to influence recovery of muscle dysfunction following knee surgery [ ]. However, vitamin C status prior to supplementation was correlated with improvements in muscle function. Thus, taken together, these results suggest that sufficient antioxidant intake is important for optimal recovery, but supplementation on top of sufficiency is unnecessary if nutrient status is adequate.
Not all injuries require limb immobilization. So, even if training is curtailed or reduced, muscle loss may be less and the metabolic consequences might not be as severe. There is also evidence that some injuries might have particular nutritional requirements.
Thus, a brief discussion of what little is known about nutrition to support a few selected types of injuries seems warranted. Traumatic brain injuries TBI in athletes are attracting an increasing amount of attention and scrutiny.
In contact sports, such as rugby and American football, these injuries are increasingly common. TBI also are common in other contact sports and in military personnel. Diagnosis of TBI is being treated much more seriously than in earlier times.
Moreover, increasing awareness of long-term consequences of TBI, particularly if there are repetitive incidences, is forthcoming.
Significant brain abnormalities were reported in a group of retired American football players [ ]. In addition, retired American football players over the age of 50 with a history of repetitive TBI demonstrated rates of cognitive impairment five times that of retirees without a history of TBI [ ].
The pathogenic process leading to these problems is related to the secondary phase of recovery following TBI, which includes processes such as neuroinflammation, increased excitatory amino acids, free radicals and ion imbalances that lead to axonal and neuronal damage [ ].
However, there still are no approved therapies to treat TBI or the underlying processes of TBI and enhance recovery from TBI [ ]. Thus, it seems clear that a nutritional intervention that could ameliorate the consequences of TBI and improve cognitive and neuromuscular function would be valuable for active and retired athletes.
Nutritional treatments for TBI-related problems centre around antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Virtually all of the research to date is based on rodent models. One study showed that rats eating a diet supplemented with curcumin, an anti-inflammatory compound, had decreased levels of factors found to increase following TBI.
These factors include oxidized proteins, normalized brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF , and molecules in the pathogenic pathway downstream of BDNF [ ]. Moreover, cognitive function was improved in the rats consuming supplemental curcumin.
The efficacy of n-3FA for amelioration of TBI-related damage also has been investigated. Animal studies consistently demonstrated that both prophylactic and therapeutic use of n-3FA decreases axonal and neuronal damage, inflammation, and apoptosis and normalizes BDNF and neurotransmitter levels [ — ].
Moreover, these changes lead to improved cognitive function. Thus, there seems to be promising evidence of the efficacy of curcumin and, especially, n-3FA for recovery from TBI in rodents. However, it is not clear if the efficacy of n-3FA for TBI in rodents can be generalized to humans.
The promising nature of data generated from animal studies suggests that n-3FA may be an effective nutrient to counter the negative long-term effects of TBI.
To date, no study has been published examining this question in humans. However, clinical trials are under way after the US Institute of Medicine recommended further investigation in There have been a small number of case studies suggesting that high-dose n-3FA may improve acute outcomes after TBI [ , ].
Moreover, an open-design study demonstrated that a nutritional intervention, including n-3FA, improved cognitive function in retired American football players with a history of TBI [ ]. However, the players in this study participated in lifestyle interventions in addition to consuming a supplement that contained n-3FA and several other ingredients.
Thus, the contribution of the n-3FA, other nutrients, or the lifestyle intervention to the improvement in cognitive function cannot be definitively identified. A follow-up, double-blind, placebo-controlled study determined that nutritional supplementation, including n-3FA, resulted in improved neuropsychological function in healthy volunteers [ ].
Again, determination of the precise role of n-3FA in this improvement is not possible given the large number of nutrients consumed in the supplement. Therefore, whereas preclinical and preliminary data on the impact of n-3FA for recovery from TBI are promising, solid recommendations to include n-3FA in a treatment regimen cannot be made, at least until the results of the ongoing clinical trials are reported.
Common exercise-induced injuries include those with damaged muscle and other soft tissues. These injuries likely will not necessarily result in immobilization of the limb, but will require a reduction in activity of the injured limb—if for no other reason than that the injury is painful.
A common model used to examine muscle injuries is an eccentric exercise model. In this model, the volunteers perform a number of eccentric—force production during muscle lengthening—contractions. Loss of muscle function, increases in blood proteins associated with muscle damage, and increased pain result from these types of situations [ — ].
Several methods have been used to perform the eccentric contractions, including eccentric resistance exercise, dynamometers, stepping down from a bench or block and downhill running [ ]. Many investigations have focused on nutrients that may be useful in recovery from these intense exercise situations.
Many nutrients have been touted to alleviate symptoms associated with muscular injuries using these eccentric exercise models. A complete examination of this literature is beyond the scope of this review.
Interested readers are referred to recent reviews [ , — ]. Overall, the nutrients most often associated with alleviation of pain and increased recovery from eccentric exercise include protein and amino acids, anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants.
The available information does not readily lend itself to a solid conclusion for any of these nutritional countermeasures to the deleterious effects of muscle injury.
Moreover, it is not certain that this eccentric exercise model is an appropriate way to evaluate soft tissue injuries in exercisers. Nonetheless, many studies have attempted to assess nutritional interventions to enhance recovery after exercise-induced muscle damage and many recommendations are commonly made.
Protein and amino acids probably have been the most widely studied nutrients in the context of muscle injuries. Any positive impact on recovery may be due to the branched-chain amino acid content of the protein [ , ]. The impact of protein has been attributed to increased MPS to enhance repair [ ].
However, changes in indices of muscle damage occur in the order of hours [ , , ]. Given that the turnover of structural muscle proteins is quite slow [ 26 , ], it is difficult to accept this attribution. Moreover, other studies do not report an effect of protein or amino acids [ , ].
The variable results are likely due to varying supplementation patterns, types of exercise, and other design considerations [ ]. Finally, many of the volunteers in the studies were untrained and generalizability of the results to an athletic population may be questioned.
Thus, this equivocality makes it difficult to conclude that protein or amino acid supplementation enhances recovery from muscle injury, particularly for injured athletes.
In fact, a recent systematic review concluded that the evidence for alleviation of symptoms of muscle injury by protein and amino acids is lacking [ ]. Provision of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents to alleviate symptoms of muscle damage also has been a popular strategy. However, at best, as with protein, the literature can only be considered equivocal.
The interested reader is referred to recent reviews [ , ] for a more detailed examination of these studies. Clearly, given the disparity in the types of exercise, supplementation patterns, and other methodological issues, very little insight into nutrition for muscle injuries can be gleaned from exercise-induced muscle damage studies.
Hence, it is not possible to make solid recommendations regarding nutritional countermeasures to exercise-induced muscle damage and injuries. Thus far, the focus of the discussion has been on what nutrients to consume. However, consideration of what to avoid also should be made.
As mentioned above, the most obvious nutrition consideration is to avoid nutrient deficiencies. This consideration was discussed earlier in the context of inactivity and immobilization and should be the number one overriding priority for nutrition related to injury.
Additionally, nutrient excess should be avoided. Excess energy could lead to increased total and fat mass, particularly if activity is dramatically reduced. In light of the preliminary evidence for the efficacy of n-3FA in the context of several different injuries that has been discussed, careful consideration of the dose should be made before advising an injured athlete.
Excess n-3FA consumption could excessively depress the inflammatory response leading to impaired wound healing [ 95 , 96 ]. However, studies determining the appropriate or excessive doses in humans have not been conducted. Thus, caution is justified. One obvious nutrient that is best avoided or at least ingested in only small amounts is alcohol.
Alcohol ingestion impairs MPS in rats [ ], as well as the response of MPS to exercise in humans [ ]. Moreover, it is clear that alcohol impairs wound healing, likely by reducing the inflammatory response [ ], and increases muscle loss during immobilization in rats [ ]. Thus, whereas it may be self-evident, it is worth emphasizing that limited alcohol ingestion during recovery is important.
So, as tempting as it may be to indulge in alcohol to drown sorrows or diminish pain, only small amounts, if any, should be imbibed. In summary, there is much still to be learned about the best nutritional strategy to enhance recovery from exercise-induced injuries.
There are claims for the efficacy of many nutrients, yet direct evidence is sorely lacking. Nutritional status and energy requirements should be assessed throughout recovery and nutrient intake adjusted accordingly. Deficiencies, particularly those of energy, protein, and micronutrients, must be avoided.
Higher protein intakes ~2—2. There is promising—albeit it must be considered preliminary—evidence for the efficacy of other nutrients in certain situations. Leucine, n-3FA, curcumin, and others have been demonstrated to be beneficial in rodent studies, but information from studies on injured humans is yet forthcoming.
In some situations, higher intakes of these nutrients may do harm. Moreover, even if they are efficacious for injured humans, there is no information regarding the optimal dose of these nutrients.
Thus, caution is warranted before recommendations for wholesale use of these nutrients by injured athletes are made. Even if the benefit is uncertain, it may be worth trying if no risks can be identified. Otherwise, if there is a risk of doing harm with use of a particular nutrient, then perhaps that nutrient should be avoided.
As always, the basis of nutritional strategy for an injured exerciser should be a well-balanced diet based on a diet of whole foods from nature or foods made from ingredients from those foods that are minimally processed [ ].
Whereas this advice may be considered mundane, boring, and lacking insight, it seems still to be the best course of action. Jacobsson J, Timpka T, Kowalski J, et al. Subsequent injury during injury recovery in elite athletics: cohort study in Swedish male and female athletes.
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Part II: focus on micronutrients and supportive nutraceuticals. Research has shown eating protein and carbs together at meals post-injury slows catabolism the body breaking down of muscle mass.
To preserve muscle mass an athlete should try to consume 2. Chicken and sweet potatoes or beef and broccoli and rice are great options that give you both carbs and protein. If you want to eat plant based, try lentils and rice or whole wheat bread.
Other things to consider are supplements. Here are a few of note in the literature:. There is a noted decrease in muscle damage when taken.
Also there is some data showing that there is enhanced recovery from disuse or immobilization so creatine may be effective in helping with recovery outcomes in athletes post- surgery or break.
This might not need to be supplemented since you should be able to get enough HMB in high protein foods like milk, yogurt, chicken, beef and tofu. Try to obtain these from food sources like cold water fish. In recovery, Omega 3s may support the body's ability to utilize amino acids and therefore maintain lean body mass.
Be careful supplementing this too early because you don't want to disturb the inflammation process. One last thing of note is what to avoid when injured. If you are in the initial inflammation period let your body do its process. Try not to take anti-inflammatories if you can, and limit alcohol, which has been shown to increase lean body breakdown and increase inflammation in the body.
So while we may want to drown the sorrows of the injury just be mindful of the consequences. We hope this is helpful in your prevention and recovery plan. If you are injured and want a tailored recovery plan please feel free to reach out here at Cascade endurance and set up a nutrition counseling appointment with Abby.
To your health! Obviously, the fats to avoid are saturated and trans fats. Privacy Policy. Patient Portal Self Pay Pricing How Your Eating Habits Can Reduce the Chance of Injury.
Eat Enough Calories One of the biggest mistakes athletes make is not eating enough calories during the day. Get Enough Calcium Our bones are one of the most important and vulnerable parts of our body. Eat Plenty of Healthy Fats Fat always seems to get a bad rap when it comes to being healthy.
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Injuries are a nutritiional of life, Holistic mood enhancer they can be greatly reduced nutritoonal eating healthy supprt that nutrjtional repair the body. You Injuey need to be a professional athlete or have Brain health and healthy aging certain diet to benefit from eating nutrifional. A healthy Injury prevention and nutritional support can help prevent injuries and speed up recovery time when you do get injured. In order to prevent and recover from injuries, proper nutrition is necessary. The role of nutrition in injury prevention, treatment, and recovery is an integral one that cannot be overlooked. Nutrition plays an important role in the prevention of injuries by providing the body with the nutrients it needs to function properly. After a minor injury, eating a balanced diet can help you recover faster than an unhealthy one.
Click name to view affiliation. Injuries are an inevitable consequence of athletic Pre-workout supplements with most athletes sustaining one or more during their Oranges for Skincare careers. Nutritionla many Injury prevention and nutritional support one in 12 athletes incur andd injury Injuty Oranges for Skincare supporf, many of which result in time lost from training and competition. Other common suppirt include fractures, especially prdvention fractures in athletes with low energy availability, and injuries to tendons and ligaments, especially those involved in high-impact sports, such as jumping. Given the high prevalence of injury, it is not surprising that there has been a great deal of interest in factors that may reduce the risk of injury, or decrease the recovery time if an injury should occur: One of the main variables explored is nutrition. This review investigates the evidence around various nutrition strategies, including macro- and micronutrients, as well as total energy intake, to reduce the risk of injury and improve recovery time, focusing upon injuries to skeletal muscle, bone, tendons, and ligaments. 
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