Diets rich in fruits and vegetables provide polyphenols and micronutrients, each of which can help speed the recovery process. For example, polyphenols may help decrease muscle damage caused by inflammation. While these strategies provide more benefits for the muscle, vitamin C and gelatin have been suggested to stimulate greater collagen synthesis following a tendon or ligament injury.

Active individuals should focus on a food-first approach before supplementation. Keep in mind that for many of these findings, more research is needed to examine the benefits of the role of macro- and micronutrients in the prevention of or recovery from muscle injuries.

Bone Injury Treatment and Prevention Bone strength is determined earlier in life, yet bone loss occurs as a natural part of the aging process. Due to bone-related consequences ie, reduced calcium absorption and bone mineral density associated with a higher incidence of relative energy deficiency in sport syndrome, stress fractures are more common in active females.

Although there are many nutrients that play a role in bone health, the following nutrition factors may help support bone health and aid in the recovery and healing from bone injuries. Many female athlete triad and relative energy deficiency in sport studies have found that reductions in energy availability, especially if chronic, have been shown to reduce hormones estrogen, testosterone that are vital to bone formation and resorption.

Protein plays a role in the production of hormones that affect bone health and provide structure for the bone matrix. Adequate protein intake ~1. Contrary to previous beliefs, protein intakes higher than the recommended daily intake have no negative impact on bone health if calcium intake is adequate.

In fact, although more research is needed, higher protein intakes have been shown to have a small, beneficial impact on bone. Therefore, inadequate calcium intake can impair bone healing. Furthermore, one study found that consuming a calcium-rich meal or supplement ~1, to 1, mg before exercise can offset sweat calcium losses in endurance athletes.

Calcium-rich foods include milk, fortified orange juice, kale, tofu, yogurt, and sardines. Athletes can boost calcium intake by consuming milk dairy or soy and yogurt. It has been suggested that active individuals who are vitamin D deficient are at greater risk of bone fracture.

Depending on vitamin D levels, supplementation may be needed especially during the winter months to ensure levels are adequate.

Of course, sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but dietary sources include fatty fish, sun-exposed mushrooms, sardines, and milk. In addition, magnesium and vitamin K play an important role in bone health. Vitamin K deficiency has been associated with increased fracture risk; magnesium deficiency may contribute to poor bone health.

If intakes are below the dietary reference intake, supplementation may be needed. Considering that reversing low bone mineral density later in life is difficult, good nutrition habits that promote bone health and support the demands of sport should be emphasized during adolescence.

Finally, more research is needed to examine the long-term effects of dietary patterns on bone health in athletes. Final Thoughts Nutrition can play a vital role in the injury recovery and repair processes. Before taking a supplement, active individuals with an injury should consult with a sports dietitian to determine whether the supplement is safe, effective, and necessary.

TEAM USA nutrition provides nutrition fact sheets for active individuals with a soft tissue or bone injury. As a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, she has consulted with elite and collegiate athletes as well as with active individuals.

She has authored research articles for scientific journals and presented at regional and national conferences. Her current research interests include vitamin D and energy availability in athletes with spinal cord injury.

In her spare time, she enjoys running and spending time with her three active boys. Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel, as well as chia seeds and flaxseeds, are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

Incorporating these foods into your diet can help speed up the recovery process. Vibrant fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support overall health and injury recovery.

Berries, citrus fruits, leafy greens, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes are particularly beneficial due to their high nutrient content.

These foods provide antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and promote healing. Whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, and whole wheat bread are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates.

They provide sustained energy for training and promote proper recovery by replenishing glycogen stores. Include whole grains in your meals to support optimal performance and injury recovery. Calcium and vitamin D are essential for maintaining strong bones and preventing stress fractures.

Dairy products, fortified plant-based milk, leafy greens, and fortified cereals are excellent sources of calcium. Vitamin D can be obtained through sunlight exposure or through dietary sources such as fatty fish, fortified dairy products, and egg yolks.

Nuts and seeds are packed with essential nutrients and healthy fats that support recovery and reduce inflammation. Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E, which aids in tissue repair.

Incorporate a variety of nuts and seeds into your diet for added nutrition and flavor. One study measuring strength after 30 days after knee surgery found that creatine did not improve outcomes. While the evidence is not overwhelmingly positive, it is enough that I think it is worth taking creatine.

Particularly because there is minimal downside to doing so. Dosage and how to take: 20g per day for 5 days, followed by 5g per day ongoing.

This is a simplified protocol. If you want more details, check out our post on the topic. There are proposed mechanisms for how omega-3s can help due to enhancing anabolic sensitivity to amino acids as well as help from an anti-inflammatory perspective. There is minimal research looking at fish oil and immobilisation.

The research we do have is surprisingly promising. An example of this involved lower limb immobilisation for 2 weeks. The fish oil group maintained significantly more muscle than the placebo group.

Although the research looks promising, I would keep an open mind on this topic. I would not be surprised if more research came out showing it does not matter. I also heard the main author of that study on a podcast say an interesting line.

A nuanced approach could involve taking fish oil leading up to and post-surgery if you have a serious injury and a surgery date planned though. Collagen and gelatin supplementation have emerging research indicating they can help with recovery from musculoskeletal injuries.

The mechanism that I propose involves the collagen peptides breaking down into amino acids, as mentioned. But either way, collagen protein has a very different amino acid profile to other protein sources.

It is a lot higher in proline, glycine, lysine and arginine than most other protein sources. We have evidence that these amino acids peak in the blood ~ minutes after consumption.

Theoretically, we can target the injured area by getting blood flow to the area with training. Even without that, some of the research looks promising anyway. There is also evidence of an increase in collagen synthesis in the body following supplementation and a targeted exercise protocol too. In terms of the evidence, while the evidence is mixed, all the research fitting the following criteria has shown positive outcomes:.

There also is not a lot of quality research on the topic. At the moment, my interpretation of the research is that it helps.

But I am watching the space closely to see if anything comes along to change my mind. One of the most promising studies, in particular, involved a patellar tendinopathy case study.

The MRI footage showed complete healing of the patellar tendon, which is exceptionally rare. Often with tendinopathy that severe, MRI footage still shows a damaged area long after the pain has gone. Dosage and How to Take: g of collagen or gelatin, minutes prior to training. If you have not consumed any vitamin C for the day, it makes sense to add that too.

Vitamin C is required for collagen synthesis. At a population level, supplementing those things, without further context e. dietary intake and blood levels leads to increased bone mineral density. Supplementing with calcium and vitamin D has evidence of improving fracture recovery.

It is not a large benefit, but it is worth being aware of. 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.