how to eat to recover from injury

7/31/2019 How to Eat to Recover From Injury

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HowtoEattoRecoverFromInjury

Injuries suck plain and simple.

They are especially frustrating for

those who are used to being

active. The standard protocol for

injuries is RICE (Rest, Ice,

Compression, Elevation),

therapeutic exercise and

painkillers.

Heres why diet should play a big

part in this equation and how to

optimize eating to he lp hasten

recovery.Common Injurie s

There are so many types of injuries and nutritional strategy will vary dependingon the type and severity of the injury amongst other factors. Some of the more

common injuries are;

1. Sprains: Injury to ligament tissue

2. Strains: Injury to muscle or tendon tissue

3. Fractures: Injury to bone tissue

NutritionalGoalsforRecovery

1. Balance inflammation:

Inflammation occurs at the onset of an injury. It is a protective and

healing mechanism

It is crucial to the initial healing process but needs to be controlled.

Failure to control inflammation can cause scar tissue to form.

2. Facilitate optimal wound healing:

5-7 days post injury/surgery brings about skeletal muscle breakdown,

which triggers metabolic and hormonal reactions that suppress the

immune system

3. Support tissue healing

Ligaments and tendons generally have poor blood supply, therefore

incomplete healing is common after injury.

Incomplete healing can result in chronic pain and weakness

ultimately interfering with return to optimal health.

4. Correct calorie and prote in imbalance

Following an injury/surgery, metabolic rate jumps by as much as 30%!

This greatly influences the bodys need for extra calories and protein.

NutritionalStrategiesforInjuryRecovery

Protein

Increase protein intake to offset potential muscle breakdown that can

occur post-injury

Aim for a range of 1.5-2.og/kg.

Protein meals should be divided among 4-6 smaller meals throughout

the day and should ideally consist of lean, complete and bioavailable

sources (poultry, fish, eggs, lean beef, cottage cheese, whey protein

powder).


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Carbs

Good sources are: veggies and fruits, whole grains, beans, legumes,

oats. Avoid sugars and refined carbs.

Include carbs in sufficient amounts in early stages to keep calories

sufficient, but consider cutting back after a week or two post-

injury/surgery especially if weight control is a concern.

Fats

Fats are formidable allies in reducing inflammation. Omega-3s are the

hallmark fats for reducing inflammation. Monounsaturated fats are also

helpful.

Good fat sources include: Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring,

sardines), flaxseeds, nuts, olive oil, avocados,

pumpkin/sunflower/sesame seeds.

Fats that can hinder healing by increasing inflammation: Trans fats,

omega-6 fats and saturated fats.

VitaminsMineralsandSupplements

Vitamin A:

Why its good: Promotes cell growth/repair, boosts immune function, and

enhances bone development.

Food sources: Liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, mango, spinach, papaya, red

peppers.

Amount: Up to 10,000 I.U.s

Vitamin C:

Why its good: Collagen formation, replenishes blood levels of vitamin C

brought on by injury, enzyme activity for metabolism, increased immune

function

Food sources: Broccoli, red peppers, oranges, strawberries, cabbage,

grapefruit, cantaloupe.

Amount: 1000-2000mg

Zinc:

Why its good: Wound healing, enzyme reactionsFood sources: Meat, seafood, sunflower seeds, almonds

Amount: 15-30 mg

SupplementsthatMaybeHelpful

Fish oil

Amino Acids (arginine, ornithine, glutamine)

HMB

SuperfoodsforRecovery

Salmon (omega-3s)

Almonds (fat/protein, zinc)

Olive oil (Anti-inflammatory works like ibuprofen)

Broccoli (vitamin C, fiber, antibacterial)

Apples (flavanoids protect cells from oxygen damage, prevent

inflammation

Curry (anti-inflammatory)

Pineapple (bromelain analgesic)

Garlic (allicin anti-inflammatory, improves macrophage function)

Grass fed beef (protein, vitamin, minerals)

Papaya (vitamins A, C and papain enzyme that increases immune

function)

ClosingThoughts

This diet can help you get on your feet again and help you find exclusive health

(http://www.diet-

blog.com/07/tracking_your_food_intake_online_resources.php)


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(http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diet-

blog.com%2F08%2Fexercise_injuries_a_diet_for_recovery.php&t=How%20to%20Eat%20to%20Recover%20Fr

insurance leads. Get your body back on track and save money on health

insurance! Now thats motivation. Injuries can be frustrating, no doubt about it.

But if it does happen, you want to be able to use every tool at your disposal

including nutrition.

References:

American Dietetic Association: Nutrition in Rehabilitation and Recovery

from Injury

Dieticians Canada

Injuries: Nutrition and Recovery. John M. Berardi and Ryan Andrews

Nutrition sports injury therapies: What you eat can play a significantpart in preventing or healing a sports injury. Jim Bledsoe

Recovery Nutrition for the Injured athlete . Kim Mueller, M.S., R.D.

Worlds Healthiest Foods Website: www.whfoods.org

The PowerfoodNutrition Plan: Susan M. Kleiner, PhD

Elsewhere

Q&A: Olympic Gold Medalist (and

Mom) Jennie Finch

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(DailySpark)

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Rainbow: Our Diets In Review Team

Recap

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color-run-painted-tulsa-rainbow-our-

diets-in-review-team-recap/) (Diets

in Review)

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Charlotte

Thank you! Very informative. I recently fell (I am a figure skater) and might

have possibly torn my MCL in my kneehoping for good news when I return

next weekbut I am looking for everything that will speed up the recovery

time in the process. I am sure this will be beneficial! Thanks again! Keep

posting!

Charles


4/6

Eating is important, but you should always see a physician or licensed

health care professional, like a physical therapist.

Repetitive injuries like tendonitis, could arise from muscle imbalances, poor

form, or structural problems. These are issues that a physical therapist

should address.

Gabrielle

A very informative post, probebly will be a big help to some of the readers ofthis blog

Spectra

Ive been relatively lucky as far as injuries go, but this is a good list of foods

to include in a post-injury diet. One of my past co-workers was a dietician

and she said that increasing protein was a big key to faster wound healing.

Ive also heard that garlic is a great food to include in your diet after any

trauma because it has natural antibiotic properties. Not sure how accurate

that is, but hey, I LOVE garlic and I pretty much eat it all the time anyway.

DrJ

Im either injured, or ready for further punishment

NeoVitin

Good post. Some time or another we all will face an injury, and it is good to

take every healthy advantage possible when it comes to recovery.

Susanna

Typo in comment above. Meant to say without causing any harm to my

injured leg.

SusannaI wish I had this nutrition information when I broke my leg and had surgery to

repair it. I definitely increased my calorie intake, just was not careful where I

got the calories from. Thankfully, many of the foods on the list above are

staples of my diet.

One thing I would add to the mix, particularly if you are working through a

severe injury is dont forget about the rest of your body. Many people focus

their physical therapy on their injured area they dont give much attention to

the rest. Thankfully, I had a good trainer who worked with me to do strength

training exercises whith causing any harm to my injured leg.

My healing was fast! The doctor was amazed. His comment, You have one

body, everything is connected. It makes sense that taking care of the rest of

your body will only help your [injured] leg as well.

FatLossGuru

This is my first time to this blog and I can relate to what youve said here


5/6

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Date Created / Updated: May 7, 2012

about healing injuries. I just sprained my ankle about two weeks ago and it

sure has set me back from my daily routine of exercise/running etc.

Im beyond the ice/elevation stage, as most of the swelling has gone away.

Now Im just working to get the ankle back in its regular motion to be able to

walk normally.

Cheers!

DR

Great advice.

I know that fish oils certainly helped with my chronically sore shoulders.

DR

http://healthhabits.wordpress.com (http://healthhabits.wordpress.com)

musajen

I second that! Really valuable information. Thanks!

Dawn

Thanks for such a great post. Lots of information I never thought about and

wish I had known before I sprained my ankle 1 1/2 years ago.

FitFiend

I would say that these are very good guidelines for a proper diet, in general.

I try to stick to much of this even when I am not injured.

Lauren

Great post. Very informative. There are some foods I knew were healthy,

but I didnt realize they helped us recover from injuries faster.


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