What can help an athlete to heal faster and get back in the game sooner? Nutrition is vital during the post-injury and rehabilitation period. The right diet, in concert with proper therapy and an appropriate retraining regimen, can get you back in the game stronger and faster.

The emphasis in this phase should be on getting enough energy and protein, as well as healthy fats and plenty of vegetables and fruits. Food can assist athletes in healing faster, but it also can interfere with healing optimally.

Especially during the post-injury healing and rehabilitation period, athletes should avoid:. Remember, the right nutrition helps to hasten post-injury recovery to get athletes back into the game sooner and healthier.

See your sport dietitian to help you recover better. Posted In Basketball , Healthy Living , Nutrition , Sports Medicine.

Written by SHN Staff. November 9, It is quite rare to find an athlete who has not been injured. Healing processes Three healing processes occur after an injury: Inflammation occurs immediately and continues up to five days post-injury.

Proliferation occurs at five days through three weeks post-injury. During this phase, there is a tissue rebuilding and repairing process. Maturation occurs from three weeks to two years post-injury depending on severity of injury.

During this phase of recovery, considerable remodeling occurs to build a stronger tissue structure. Based on these healing processes, we can divide nutrition recommendations into two phases: Injury and immobilization, or inflammation and proliferation of healing.

Most of the muscle loss occurs during this phase. Rehabilitation, or maturation of healing. Exercise is re-introduced in the form of therapy, and athletes are advanced to full practice when they are cleared by trained medical staff.

Given this, athletes involved in high-volume, high-intensity training, where the individual is body weight loaded, are particularly susceptible to developing a stress fracture Fredericson et al. The pathophysiology of stress fracture injuries is complex and not completely understood Bennell et al.

That said, there is little direct information relating to the role of diet and nutrition in either the prevention or recovery from bone injuries, such as stress fractures.

As such, the completion of this article requires some extrapolation from the information relating to the effects of diet and nutrition on bone health in general. Palacios provides a brief summary of some of the key nutrients for bone health, which include an adequate supply of calcium, protein, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D, potassium, and fluoride to directly support bone formation.

Other nutrients important to support bone tissue include manganese, copper, boron, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, and the B vitamins.

Silicon might also be added to this list of key nutrients for bone health. Given this, the consumption of dairy, fruits, and vegetables particularly of the green leafy kind are likely to be useful sources of the main nutrients that support bone health.

Of the more specific issues for the athlete, undoubtedly the biggest factor is the avoidance of low energy availability, which is essential to avoid negative consequences for bone Papageorgiou et al. In athletes, this poses the question of whether the effect of low energy availability on bone is a result of dietary restriction or high exercise energy expenditures.

Low EA achieved through inadequate dietary energy intake resulted in decreased bone formation but no change in bone resorption, whereas low EA achieved through exercise did not significantly influence bone metabolism, highlighting the importance of adequate dietary intakes for the athlete.

Evidence of the impact of low energy availability on bone health, particularly in female athletes, comes from the many studies relating to both the Female Athlete Triad Nattiv et al.

A thorough review of these syndromes is beyond the scope of the current article; however, those interested are advised to make use of the existing literature base on this topic.

That said, this is likely to be an unrealistic target for many athlete groups, particularly the endurance athlete e. This target may also be difficult to achieve in youth athletes who have limited time to fuel given the combined demands of school and training.

In addition, a calorie deficit is often considered to drive the endurance phenotype in these athletes, meaning that work is needed to identify the threshold of energy availability above which there are little or no negative implications for the bone.

However, a recent case study on an elite female endurance athlete over a 9-year period demonstrated that it is possible to train slightly over optimal race weight and maintain sufficient energy availability for most of the year, and then reduce calorie intake to achieve race weight at specific times in the year Stellingwerff, This may be the ideal strategy to allow athletes to race at their ideal weight, train at times with low energy availability to drive the endurance phenotype, but not be in a dangerously low energy availability all year round.

Moran et al. The development of stress fractures was associated with preexisting dietary deficiencies, not only in vitamin D and calcium, but also in carbohydrate intake. Although a small-scale association study, these data provide some indication of potential dietary risk factors for stress fracture injury.

Miller et al. Similarly, other groups have shown a link between calcium intake and both bone mineral density Myburgh et al. Despite these initially encouraging findings, there remain relatively few prospective studies evaluating the optimal calcium and vitamin D intake in athletes relating to either a stress fracture prevention or b bone healing.

For a more comprehensive review of this area, readers are directed toward a recent review by Fischer et al. One further consideration that might need to be made with regard to the calcium intake of endurance athletes and possibly weight classification athletes practicing dehydration strategies to make weight is the amount of dermal calcium loss over time.

Although the amount of dermal calcium lost with short-term exercise is unlikely to be that important in some endurance athletes performing prolonged exercise bouts or multiple sessions per day e. Athletes are generally advised to consume more protein than the recommended daily allowance of 0.

More recently, however, several reviews Rizzoli et al. Conversely, inadequacies in dietary intake have a negative effect on physical performance, which might, in turn, contribute to an increased risk of injury. This is as likely to be the case for the bone as it is for other tissues of importance to the athlete, like muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

Despite this, there is a relative dearth of information relating to the effects of dietary intake on bone health in athletes and, particularly, around the optimal diet to support recovery from bone injury. In the main, however, it is likely that the nutritional needs for bone health in the athlete are not likely to be substantially different from those of the general population, albeit with an additional need to minimize low energy availability states and consider the potentially elevated calcium, vitamin D, and protein requirements of many athletes.

Tendinopathy is one of the most common musculoskeletal issues in high-jerk sports. Jerk, the rate of change of acceleration, is the physical property that coaches and athletes think of as plyometric load.

Given that the volume of high-jerk movements increases in elite athletes, interventions to prevent or treat tendinopathies would have a significant impact on elite performance.

The goal of any intervention to treat tendinopathy is to increase the content of directionally oriented collagen and the density of cross-links within the protein to increase the tensile strength of the tendon.

The most common intervention to treat tendinopathy is loading. The realization that tendons are dynamic tissues that respond to load began when the Kjaer laboratory demonstrated an increase in tendon collagen synthesis, in the form of increased collagen propeptides in the peritendinous space 72 hr after exercise Langberg et al.

They followed this up using stable isotope infusion to show that tendon collagen synthesis doubled within the first 24 hr after exercise Miller et al. Therefore, loading can increase collagen synthesis, and this may contribute to the beneficial effects of loading on tendinopathy. Recently, combining loading with nutritional interventions has been proposed to further improve collagen synthesis Shaw et al.

Nutrition has been recognized as being essential for collagen synthesis and tendon health for over years. The two sailors given the oranges and lemon recovered within 6 days; however, the relationship between the citrus fruit and scurvy continued to be debated for over years.

In , Jerome Gross showed that guinea pigs on a vitamin C deficient diet did not synthesize collagen at a detectable level Gross, , making the molecular connection between vitamin C and scurvy.

The requirement for vitamin C in the synthesis of collagen comes from its role in the regulation of prolyl hydroxylase activity Mussini et al.

As vitamin C is consumed in the hydroxylation reaction, and humans lack the l -gulono-γ-lactone oxidase enzyme required for the last step in the synthesis of vitamin C Drouin et al.

Even though a basal level of vitamin C is required for collagen synthesis, whether exceeding this value results in a concomitant increase in collagen synthesis has yet to be determined. Therefore, currently, there is no evidence that increasing vitamin C intake will increase collagen synthesis and prevent tendon injuries.

Like vitamin C, copper deficiency leads to impaired mechanical function of collagen-containing tissues, such as bone Jonas et al. However, the beneficial effects of copper are only seen in the transition from deficiency to sufficiency Opsahl et al.

There is no further increase in collagen function with increasing doses of copper. This sequence allows collagen to form the tight triple helix that gives the protein its mechanical strength. Because of the importance of glycine, some researchers have hypothesized that increasing dietary glycine would have a beneficial effect on tendon healing.

Vieira et al. The authors repeated the results in a follow-up study Vieira et al. Another potential source of the amino acids found in collagen is gelatin or hydrolyzed collagen. Gelatin is created by boiling the skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments of cattle, pigs, and fish.

Further chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis of gelatin breaks the protein into smaller peptides that are soluble in water and no longer form a gel. Because both gelatin and hydrolyzed collagen are derived from collagen, they are rich in glycine, proline, hydroxylysine, and hydroxyproline Shaw et al.

As would be expected from a dietary intervention that increases collagen synthesis, consumption of 10 g of hydrolyzed collagen in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study in athletes decreased knee pain from standing and walking Clark et al. The decrease in knee pain could be the result of an improvement in collagen synthesis of the cartilage within the knee since cartilage thickness, measured using gadolinium labeled magnetic resonance imaging, increases with long-term consumption of 10 g of hydrolyzed collagen McAlindon et al.

The role of gelatin consumption in collagen synthesis was directly tested by Shaw et al. In this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover-designed study, subjects who consumed 15 g of gelatin showed twice the collagen synthesis, measured through serum propeptide levels, as either a placebo or a 5-g group.

Furthermore, when serum from subjects fed either gelatin or collagen is added to engineered ligaments, the engineered ligaments demonstrate more than twofold greater mechanics and collagen content Avey and Baar unpublished; Figure 1. Even though bathing the engineered ligaments in serum rich in procollagen amino acids provides a beneficial effect, this is a far cry from what would be seen in people.

However, these data suggest that consuming gelatin or hydrolyzed collagen may increase collagen synthesis and potentially decrease injury rate in athletes. Citation: International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 29, 2; These and other nutraceuticals have recently been reviewed by Fusini et al.

Interestingly, many of these nutrients are thought to decrease inflammation, and the role of inflammation in tendinopathy in elite athletes remains controversial Peeling et al. Therefore, future work is needed to validate these purported nutraceuticals in the prevention or treatment of tendon or ligament injuries.

Although injuries are going to happen in athletes, there are several nutrition solutions that can be implemented to reduce the risk and decrease recovery time.

To reduce the risk of injury, it is crucial that athletes do not have chronic low energy availability, as this is a major risk factor for bone injuries. Cycling energy intake throughout the year to allow race weight to be achieved, while achieving adequate energy availability away from competitions, may be the most effective strategy.

It is also crucial for bone, muscle, tendon, and ligament health to ensure that there are no dietary deficiencies, especially low protein intake or inadequate vitamin C, D, copper, n-3 PUFA, or calcium.

This highlights the importance of athletes having access to qualified nutrition support to help them achieve their goals without compromising health. If an injury does occur, one of the key considerations during the injury is to ensure excessive lean muscle mass is not lost and that sufficient energy is consumed to allow repair, without significantly increasing body fat.

It is crucial to understand the change in energy demands and, at the same time, ensure sufficient protein is consumed for repair, especially since the muscle could become anabolic resistant.

In terms of tendon health, there is a growing interest in the role of gelatin to increase collagen synthesis. Studies are now showing that gelatin supplementation can improve cartilage thickness and decrease knee pain, and may reduce the risk of injury or accelerate return to play, providing both a prophylactic and therapeutic treatment for tendon, ligament, and, potentially, bone health.

Where supplementation is deemed necessary e. Last but not least, more human-based research is needed, ideally in elite athlete populations, on the possible benefits of some macro- and micronutrients in the prevention or boosted recovery of injured athletes.

Given that placebo-controlled, randomized control trials are exceptionally difficult to perform in elite athletes no athlete would want to be in a placebo group if there is a potential of benefit of an intervention, combined with the fact that the time course and pathology of the same injuries are often very different , it is important that high-quality case studies are now published in elite athletes to help to develop an evidence base for interventions.

All authors contributed equally to the manuscript, with each author writing specific sections and all authors editing the final manuscript prior to final submission. They also declare no conflicts of interest related to this manuscript. Baar , K. Stress relaxation and targeted nutrition to treat patellar tendinopathy.

International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 1 — Barry , D. Acute calcium ingestion attenuates exercise-induced disruption of calcium homeostasis. PubMed ID: doi Barzel , U. Excess dietary protein can adversely affect bone. Journal of Nutrition, , — Bell , P.

Recovery facilitation with Montmorency cherries following high-intensity, metabolically challenging exercise. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 40 , — Bennell , K.

Risk factors for stress fractures. Sports Medicine, 28 , 91 — Blacker , S. Carbohydrate vs. protein supplementation for recovery of neuromuscular function following prolonged load carriage.

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 7 , 2. Buckley , J. Supplementation with a whey protein hydrolysate enhances recovery of muscle force-generating capacity following eccentric exercise.

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 13 , — Clark , K. Albert , A. Close , G. The emerging role of free radicals in delayed onset muscle soreness and contraction-induced muscle injury. Cobley , J.

Influence of vitamin C and vitamin E on redox signaling: Implications for exercise adaptations. Cockburn , E. Effect of milk-based carbohydrate-protein supplement timing on the attenuation of exercise-induced muscle damage. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 35 , — DiLorenzo , F.

Docosahexaenoic acid affects markers of inflammation and muscle damage after eccentric exercise. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28 , — Drouin , G. The genetics of vitamin C loss in vertebrates.

Current Genomics, 12 , — Edouard , P. Muscle injury is the principal injury type and hamstring muscle injury is the first injury diagnosis during top-level international athletics championships between and British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50 , — Sex differences in injury during top-level international athletics championships: Surveillance data from 14 championships between and British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49 , — Feddermann-Demont , N.

Injuries in 13 international Athletics championships between — British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48 , — Fischer , V. Calcium and vitamin D in bone fracture healing and post-traumatic bone turnover. Frankenfield , D. Energy expenditure and protein requirements after traumatic injury.

Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 21 , — Fredericson , M. Regional bone mineral density in male athletes: A comparison of soccer players, runners and controls. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 41 , — Fusini , F.

Nutraceutical supplement in the management of tendinopathies: A systematic review. Muscles, Ligaments and Tendons Journal, 6 , 48 — PubMed ID: Gillen , J. van Loon , L.

Dietary protein intake and distribution patterns of well-trained Dutch athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 27 , — Glover , E.

Rennie , M. Immobilization induces anabolic resistance in human myofibrillar protein synthesis with low and high dose amino acid infusion. The Journal of Physiology, , — Gross , J. Studies on the formation of collagen. Effect of vitamin C deficiency on the neutral salt-extractible collagen of skin.

Journal of Experimental Medicine, , — Therefore, rather than taking vitamin or powder supplements, be sure to eat foods that contain these nutrients.

Omega-6 fats, which are often present in oils, also lower inflammation. Canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, and other similar products are great for cooking, and can provide this benefit.

Coconut oil is another common way for those dealing with arthritis to decrease inflammation. Consult with a dietician or qualified orthopedist for more information about omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.

Like protein, zinc is also instrumental in helping you heal wounded tissue. And according to nutritional experts and physical therapists , failing to ingest enough zinc can prolong the healing process. Common examples of zinc-rich foods include meat, fish, shellfish, and whole grains.

Nuts are also a great choice. However, be sure to stay away from zinc supplements. Calcium plays a very important role in helping to heal broken bones. Some examples of calcium-heavy foods include broccoli, almonds, okra, and of course: dairy products.

While there are few foods that contain naturally-occurring vitamin-D, it can actually benefit your recovery. Vitamin-D is one of the best methods for natural pain management. Also, these nutrients can help to prevent sports injuries in children.

In order to recover from injuries like tears and strains , orthopedists generally recommend keeping the injured body part immobile.

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. 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. Calcium and Vitamin D Calcium and vitamin D supplementation can be helpful if there is anything bone related.

At a minimum, it is important to avoid low calcium and vitamin D. Beyond just fractures though, vitamin D might help further. Dosage and How to Take: Obviously, you could aim for a food-first approach. Overall Healthy Diet Having an overall healthy diet makes sense during injury recovery. Practical Summary Nutrition can play a role in injury recovery.

Poor nutrition could dramatically slow down recovery though, particularly for longer rehabs. As a quick summary, some key areas to investigate addressing are: Appropriate calorie intake. This might involve periodising it over the course of the recovery process.

Aiming for 1. Consume a good quality overall diet to cover all the little details that matter and can help with recovery a bit. Related posts:. Dietitian's Quick Guide to Training Nutrition: Fuel Your Performance And Enhance Recovery.

Intra-Race Nutrition for Marathon Runners: Everything You Need to Know. Weight Cuts for Powerlifting — Everything You Need to Know. Bearing an injury requires making modifications to training so that proper rest and recovery can occur. During rehabilitation and recovery, the specific nutrient needs are similar to those for an athlete desiring muscle growth, with the most important consideration being to avoid malnutrition or nutrient deficiencies.

Here are the specifics on how to eat for optimal recovery and healing while preventing weight gain:. Calories are necessary for the healing process and consuming too few will likely slow the healing process. However, to prevent weight gain while training is on hold, total daily caloric intake likely needs to decrease.

Many athletes are accustomed to consuming additional calories through convenience foods and drinks such as sports drinks, bars, shakes or gels.

These sources of fuel are better left for times of intense training and higher energy needs. Instead, focus on foundation of whole foods that includes lean proteins, fiber-rich whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and healthy fats such as nuts and seeds.

These foods tend to be less nutrient-dense as compared to whole food choices. This article was written for the Sport Science Institute by SCAN Registered Dietitians RDs. For advice on customizing an eating plan for injury prevention or after injury, consult an RD who specializes in sports, particularly a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics CSSD.

Find a SCAN RD at www. Tipton KD. Nutrition for Acute Exercise-Induced Injuries. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, Rosenbloom C, Coleman E.

Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals , 5 th edition. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Rauh, MJ, Nichols JF and Barrack MT. Relationship Among Injury and Disordered Eating, Menstrual Dysfunction, and Low Bone Mineral Density in High School Athletes: A Prospective Study.

Journal of Athletic training. Cowell BS, Rosenbloom CA, Skinner R, Sumers SH. Policies on screening female athletes for iron deficiency in NCAA Division I-A institutions.

Int J Sports NutrExercMetab. Chen, Yin-Ting, Tenforde, Adam and Fredericson, Michael. Update on Stress Fractures in Female Athletes: Epidemiology, Treatment, and Prevention. Curr Rev Musculoslel Med

So what is the proper nutritional tact for athletes recovering from injury? Casey advocates the following approach:.

It may not be sexy, but the dietary habits athletes embrace during training and competition are every bit as beneficial when recovering from injuries. Athletes tend to eat a lot of carbohydrates, which the body rapidly burns through while supplying energy for high-intensity activities.

Injured athletes don't need quite as many carbs, and Casey recommends they focus on healthy proteins. Injured athletes don't sweat as much as athletes in training and they might not think about the importance of maintaining their hydration levels.

But as a key component to overall general health, Casey recommends injured athletes remain diligent about liquid consumption. The initial inflammation that accompanies injury, in fact, serves as a catalyst for the body's healing process, so the introduction of large quantities of anti-inflammatories can actually deter, rather than encourage, healing.

As frustrating as it may be for athletes itching for competition, the best course is the steady and sensible approach, not an overnight quick fix. From there, add in appropriate physical therapy, if needed, and let the body do its job. Top 5 Sports Nutrition Myths. Should Athletes Take Supplements.

Snack Fuel: Eating for Performance. Follow UW Health Sports on Twitter. Limit sugary drinks including sports drinks and foods with added sugars. Follow a plate model for athletes during the recovery process:. Twenty to 40 grams of protein per meal and snack is optimal based on your needs every three to four hours.

Protein helps athletes heal and repair muscle tissue. Choose protein high in the amino acid leucine during the day i. For the last meal before sleep, choose protein slow to digest such as milk, Greek yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese.

After a rehab session, fuel up with a mix of whole grains and lean protein within 30 minutes of the session. Foods rich in vitamin C include: citrus fruit, strawberries, red bell peppers, watermelon, etc. Vitamin A: Assists with cell growth and development, as well as immune function.

Examples of foods rich in vitamin A include sweet potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, papaya — orange and red fruits and vegetables. Zinc: Assists with wound healing, protein synthesis and immune function. Good choices of foods for getting enough zinc include: beef, almonds, seeds such as sunflower, flax and pumpkin seeds and seafood.

Vitamin D: Important for bone health and immune function. Vitamin D is the sun vitamin. Get five to 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 a.

and 3 p. It can be found in dairy products, fatty fish or fortified foods. Fluids: Proper hydration supports the delivery of nutrients to all organs and tissues. Moreover, it helps support joints and soft tissues.

Athletes should be drinking approximately half of their body weight in ounces, preferably water, each day — and more if they sweat. Exact needs are based on frequency, duration and intensity of daily rehabilitation, weight status, goals and athlete build.

Protein: Protein needs increase to support tissue recovery and repair, as well as muscle growth. Professionals recommend between 1. Fluids: Same as in previous phase of recovery Habits that can interfere with healing Food can assist athletes in healing faster, but it also can interfere with healing optimally.

Especially during the post-injury healing and rehabilitation period, athletes should avoid: Fried or fatty foods pizza, fried chicken, french fries, etc. Added sugars and concentrated sweets e. SHN Staff Sanford Health News is your site for health news from the experts at Sanford Health.

SHN staff is a team of Midwest-Emmy-winning journalists bringing you trustworthy information on healthy living, health care, scientific research, health conditions and medical innovation.

Casey advocates the following approach:. It may not be sexy, but the dietary habits athletes embrace during training and competition are every bit as beneficial when recovering from injuries.

Athletes tend to eat a lot of carbohydrates, which the body rapidly burns through while supplying energy for high-intensity activities. Injured athletes don't need quite as many carbs, and Casey recommends they focus on healthy proteins.

Injured athletes don't sweat as much as athletes in training and they might not think about the importance of maintaining their hydration levels. But as a key component to overall general health, Casey recommends injured athletes remain diligent about liquid consumption.

The initial inflammation that accompanies injury, in fact, serves as a catalyst for the body's healing process, so the introduction of large quantities of anti-inflammatories can actually deter, rather than encourage, healing.

As frustrating as it may be for athletes itching for competition, the best course is the steady and sensible approach, not an overnight quick fix.

From there, add in appropriate physical therapy, if needed, and let the body do its job. Top 5 Sports Nutrition Myths. Should Athletes Take Supplements.

Snack Fuel: Eating for Performance. Follow UW Health Sports on Twitter. Follow UW Health Sports on Facebook. UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Refer a Patient. Clinical Trials. Find a Doctor. Search Submit. Pay a bill. Refill a prescription. The average athlete who is injured does not get anywhere near this level.

You could significantly improve your recovery outcomes by doing this thing. The best approach to overcoming the first challenge is to add liquid protein sources in addition to regular protein-rich meals. For the second challenge, you want to prioritise protein sources that are high in protein and relatively low in fat and carbohydrates where possible.

While I would not aim to get a large percentage of your intake from supplements, adding some protein supplements can help with both of those problems. Creatine helps with building muscle and strength.

It has obvious applications for longer rehab protocols. There is also research indicating that during immobilisation creatine can help with lean mass retention and reduces loss of strength. There is not a lot of research on this topic, but it looks promising. Another study on strength gains weeks after ACL surgery found that creatine significantly outperformed placebo.

It is worth highlighting that not ALL the research has shown positive outcomes. 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. 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.