Gear and Accessories. Refer a Friend. Get Started. The Gnarly System. Our Story. Our Athletes. Media Reviews. Find local retailer. Gnarly Clinics. Applies To injury prevention longevity in sport nutrition As athletes, we are continually pushing our limits, which leads to increased injury risk.

As we increase our workload, we need to find that sweet spot that will lead to optimal performance. Sometimes we do too much too soon or take extended time off, and that can easily lead to injury.

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.

Good fats can help to create healthy cell membranes and can help prevent serious inflammation in the muscles. Fats are so important that a recent study conducted by the University of Buffalo found that in the eating habits of 86 runners, fat intake was the single most important dietary predictor of injury.

The two best types of fat for your body are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats can be found in foods like olive oil, avocados, almonds, tofu, salmon, walnuts and soymilk.

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. The more exercise you do, the more you sweat, which means you need more water!

When injuries do occur, nutrition can play a vital role in helping you recover quicker and more effectively! It helps to protect us and starts to repair damage.

The key to combatting this nutritionally is reducing foods which contribute to inflammation and increasing foods which reduce inflammation. Fruits, vegetables and healthy fats help to reduce inflammation.

Foods high in vitamin C can be extremely helpful for injury recovery. Make sure you are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Zinc has many vital roles in our bodies including keeping our immune system functioning well and aiding in injury and wound repair.

You can get Zinc from foods like red meat, brown nice and lentils. Calcium keeps our bones strong and helps them to repair themselves, so eating foods which are high in calcium can be particularly useful for fractures and other bone injuries.

Foods which are high in calcium include cheese, yogurt and milk. Iron helps our bodies to produce blood cells and a protein called collagen.

Collagen is essentially the glue which holds our bodies together, providing the structure for our bones, muscles, tendons and skin. You can see why it would be vital for injury repair! Foods like red meat, eggs and fish are high in iron content. Both magnesium and potassium help to keep our nerves and muscles are working properly.

Magnesium also helps with bone formation. Foods like nuts, legumes, whole grains and seeds among others are great for magnesium and potassium consumption. A vital role of vitamin D is to help store minerals in your bones, keeping them strong and helping them recover.

This vitamin also helps your blood to absorb calcium. Fatty fish, diary products, cheese, and egg yolks are some great vitamin D sources. Make sure you do your research and consult a medical professional before adding any new supplement to your diet. Take your time to figure out what diet is right for you!

Here are some tips to help you:. Make sure you do your research to figure out what is right for your bodies requirements. Seek professional guidance if you are unsure: you could speak to your doctor, a physiotherapist , a personal trainer or another medical professional.

If you become injured, consider how you can alter your diet to help you recover faster and get back to your usual activities.

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.

Previous Post. Longevity as Vegan Athlete. Next Post. Nutrition Fundamentals: Everyday Nutrition for the Athlete. Something went wrong, please contact us! The tissues and bones that make up our body need a supply of nutrients that is tailored to the needs of each athlete. For example, the physical effort made by a person who practices crossfit at a high level, is not the same physical effort a footballer makes, even at the highest competition level.

But they do have something in common - when the diet is not well balanced, there is an increased risk of injury. Nutrition can influence injuries in two ways: firstly, as a way to prevent injury and secondly, as an aid to recover from an injury quicker and better.

If we talk about preventing injuries, the most important thing is to maintain good hydration because it improves the flexibility of the joints. To avoid muscle and tissue injuries, we must take into account collagen. Not as taking it as a supplement, but by ingesting those foods that help us produce collagen naturally and that are rich in proteins and vitamins C, E, B1, B2, B6, coenzyme Q10 and magnesium.

To a void bone injuries , it is necessary to ensure a correct intake of minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. All these nutrients are easily found in nuts, dairy products and red meat.

Basically, it is about having a well-balanced and varied diet , for all people who practice sport. Only elite athletes require more comprehensive nutritional guidelines. We would have to distinguish between two types of injuries: those that force the athlete to have the injured area immobilized such as a break, a sprain etc and those that are wear and tear injuries, that do not require to be immobilized.

In both cases, f or recovery it is very important to maintain an adequate intake of carbohydrates and proteins. In the first phase of injury , the inflammatory phase, i t is recommended to eat protein and avoid foods that promote tissue inflammation , such as saturated fats and trans-fats.

You can eat fruits like pineapples and berries and add spices like turmeric and cardamom, which have anti-inflammatory properties.

Blue fish is also recommended, given its high content of omega3. In the second phase of injury, called the proliferative phase, it is important to eat proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats such as blue fish, nuts, and linseed. Refined oils should be avoided at all costs. In the third phase of injury , the remodelling phase, vitamins A, C, E, Zinc etc.

are very important. We actually need to slightly increase calorie intake. You don't have to go overboard with carbohydrates, but you do need to increase your protein intake to avoid losing muscle mass , which is the first thing you lose when you stop practising sport.

It is recommended to take in 2 grams of protein per kg of weight per day. If they cannot be obtained through food intake, they should be obtained through food supplements. Amino acids are also very important, especially leucine, which is one of the nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own.

We must provide it through food. Leucine contributes to the growth and regeneration of muscle tissue.

Which fuel you choose has a significant effect on how your body performs. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are giving it the correct fuel to allow you to perform optimally and to prevent injuries. Athletes are pushing their bodies to the limits, and while injuries are always a possibility, eating the right diet can help to reduce the risk of injury.

You always want to be on top of your game! Giving your body the right amount of vitamins and minerals helps to keep your bones strong and at the right density, which reduces the risk of fractures and breaks.

In the same way, the right diet helps with strengthening tendons and ligaments. Tendons and ligaments help your muscles to function. Without the right nutrition, they can become weakened which can make them more susceptible to strains and other soft tissue injuries.

Providing them with the right nutrition helps prevent muscle strain and injury. Now we know how the right nutrition can help prevent injuries, we need to take a look at what that actually means in terms of what you should be eating. Carbohydrates keep your energy levels up during exercise.

Starchy and wholemeal foods are great sources of carbs, such as wholemeal bread, wholegrain rice and whole-wheat pasta. Protein helps your muscles to stay strong, to grow and to repair themselves.

During exercise, the muscle protein in the areas of your body being worked hard breaks down: you need protein in your diet so your muscles can repair this damage. This is how you get stronger, faster and fitter!

Great sources of protein include chicken, steak, fish, and eggs. The proportions of carbs and protein you should be adding to your diet depend on your exercise level, your weight, age and other factors. Having both carbohydrates and protein an hour or two before your exercise, and half an hour after a workout, can help to prevent injuries.

You can do this through your diet or choose to use a supplement. Many athletes choose shakes and other supplements to ensure they are getting exactly the right amount of carbs and protein. Both calcium and vitamin D help to keep your bones strong, reducing the risk of stress injuries from hard workouts.

You can get calcium from low-fat diary foods like milk, cheese or yogurt. Foods like cheese, egg yolks and fatty fish are great sources of vitamin D.

You could also choose to take a supplement. These fats help cells in your body to repair themselves, reduce inflammation, provide energy and keep bones, ligaments and tendons lubricated to make movement easier. Essential fats can come from foods such as nuts, oils and fish. Vitamins C and E provide antioxidants, which help to prevent damage to the cells in your body.

Vitamin C helps with tissue repair, wound healing, and maintaining your immune system among other functions. Vitamin E plays an important role in protecting tissues and organs within your body from damage. Last but not least, remember to hydrate! Ensuring your body has enough water is just as important as what you eat.

The more exercise you do, the more you sweat, which means you need more water! When injuries do occur, nutrition can play a vital role in helping you recover quicker and more effectively! It helps to protect us and starts to repair damage.

The key to combatting this nutritionally is reducing foods which contribute to inflammation and increasing foods which reduce inflammation. Fruits, vegetables and healthy fats help to reduce inflammation. Foods high in vitamin C can be extremely helpful for injury recovery.

Make sure you are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Zinc has many vital roles in our bodies including keeping our immune system functioning well and aiding in injury and wound repair.

You can get Zinc from foods like red meat, brown nice and lentils. Calcium keeps our bones strong and helps them to repair themselves, so eating foods which are high in calcium can be particularly useful for fractures and other bone injuries.

Fats are so important that a recent study conducted by the University of Buffalo found that in the eating habits of 86 runners, fat intake was the single most important dietary predictor of injury.

The two best types of fat for your body are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats can be found in foods like olive oil, avocados, almonds, tofu, salmon, walnuts and soymilk.

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. Related Posts. February 7, 0 Comments. November 27, 0 Comments. August 25, 0 Comments. Click to Call.