Nutrition For Injury Recovery: A Fueled Body Heals Faster than a Starved Body
What is every athlete’s worst nightmare? Being injured.
Whether your sport is a hobby, a career, or just your favorite way to move you body and destress, being injured can throw a huge, unanticipated wrench into your daily lifestyle.
During that time your body naturally needs time to rest and recover before you can jump back into anything - but mentally it can feel anything but restful to cope with the changes.
You might have thoughts pop into your head like “I’m moving less, so I should be eating less” or “I can’t eat that. I haven’t earned it today”
But what is actually the truth about nutrition during times of injury and recovery might surprise you.
The most underrated way to reduce inflammation and prevent injury is….
Taking in enough calories on a daily basis!
Yep. You read that right. Getting in enough energy through food means less hormonal disruptions, better sleep, and improved recovery.
You might be thinking “WHAT. No way. I’m moving less so naturally I don’t need to fuel as much.” - but the truth is that your energy expenditure actually may go UP when you’re injured.
Any injury that activates the stress response in your body can result in your body needing more energy and protein so that it can repair the injury.
Think of it this way
Let’s say you’re hosting a party - one of your guests gets a little to emphatic about winning a game of Twister and ends up falling into one of your side tables, breaking your lamp and busting one of the legs off of the table. You’re going to need to get new supplies to repair what was broken. And it’s going to take you time and energy to put everything back together.
This is exactly what our bodies are doing when we’re injured. Bodies need time, energy, and supplies to put everything back together - which is where food comes in! You wouldn’t hold back on buying a new lightbulb for your lamp or some super glue for the table leg, so why would you hold back on giving your body the building blocks it needs? It won’t be able to fix anything if it doesn’t have the parts/supplies it needs.
So how much do you actually need to eat when you’re injured?
Maybe you are joyfully (or begrudgingly) convinced that you need more food during your injury - yay for more food! But now what? Let’s talk through the basics.
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT recommend tracking or counting calories
BUT having a general idea of or caloric needs when we’re injured is helpful! You can do that by following these simple steps:
Use the Mifflin St. Jeor predictive equation to calculate your resting metabolic rate:
Men: (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - ((5 x age) + 5)
Women: (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - ((5 x age) - 161)
Find the two activity factors that best represent your rest days + most active days. The activity factors are:
1.2 = sedentary, little to no physical activity
1.375 = lightly active: light-intensity exercise 1-3 days per week
1.550 = moderate activity/exercise: moderate intensity exercise 3-5 days. per week
1.725 = heavy activity/exercise: moderate to vigorous intensity exercise 6-7 days per week
1.9 = very heavy activity/exercise: vigorous training two times per day or job requiring hard physical labor
Select your stress factor (remember, each one counts, so if you had a bone fracture with a minor surgery you would have 1.2 x 1.2):
1.2 = minor injury (sprain or dislocation), minor surgery, clean wound, or bone fracture
1.2 = infected wound or major trauma (ACL surgery)
1.5 = severe burn
Multiply all of those together!
Resting metabolic rate x rest day activity factor x stress factors = #1
Resting metabolic rate x most active day activity factor x stress factors = #2
The results (#1 and #2) estimate your caloric needs while you’re recovering!
Note: This is just an estimate - if you still feel hungry please eat more because your body is trying to tell you that you NEED more
Here are two examples of what I just explained:
image source: Angie Asche, Eleat Nutrition
Key Macronutrients and Micronutrients
The next step is figuring out what exactly to fuel your body with to boost your recovery!
Carbohydrates (3-5 g/kg body weight per day - this will increase as activity increases)
Essential as a source of energy and can stop muscle breakdown if you’re consuming enough. Aim for complex carbs (whole grains, fruits, and veggies) to help you get a variety of micronutrients and fiber, which assist in the rehabilitation process.
Protein (2.0-3.0 g/kg body weight per day - no less than 1.6 g/kg body weight per day)
Provides increased support to wound healing, tissue rebuilding, and glycemic control. If you’re not getting in enough protein, your body will begin to break down muscle to meet amino acid needs.
Aim for 20-40 grams of protein at each meal and make sure at least 3 of those grams are of leucine, which is an amino acid that stimulates muscle protein synthesis and is essential to recovery. High leucine foods include fish, poultry, tofu, edamame, and eggs.
Fat (0.8-2 g/kg body weight per day - prioritize unsaturated fats)
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats have anti-inflammatory effects and should be prioritized. Good sources include avocado, fish, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. Limit saturated fats (found in processed meats, fried/greasy foods, and vegetable oils) since they have a pro-inflammatory impact.
Micronutrients
Vitamin C - stimulates collagen synthesis, facilitates wound healing, maintains bone. Food sources include kiwi, grapefruit, oranges, strawberries, and broccoli
Vitamin A - increases collagen deposition, proliferation of epithelial cells, decreases inflammation. Food sources include sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, squash, and spinach
Vitamin E - modulates muscle proteolysis genes, functions as an antioxidant, enhances immune function. Food sources include sunflower seeds, almonds, apricots, avocado, and spinach
Dietary Supplements - A few have been shown to support recover but make sure that they have been 3rd party tested to verify safety!
Creatine - Research has shown evidence that it can improve high intensity exercise and positively impact lean muscle mass.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Fish oil) - Have strong anti-inflammatory effects, can reduce chronic inflammation caused by injury, and may help reduce muscle loss during injury recovery. Supplementation can be helpful if the recommended 2 grams daily is hard to consume through food alone.
Essential Amino Acids - High quality sources should be prioritized and this supplemental protein helps to ensure you’re meeting your protein needs. There is evidence suggesting that consuming adequate amounts can help preserve lean muscle mass.
Remember: No dietary supplement will better support recovery than consuming a diet that meets your energy, macronutrient, and micronutrient needs
Final take aways
Here are some general takeaways to help you recover quickly and fully!
Your energy needs may be higher when you’re injured
Keep eating - a meal or snack every 3-4 hours keeps your energy balanced throughout the day
Protein needs definitely increase!
Aim for at least 2.0 kg of body weight per day
Eating enough and eating a variety of foods will aid in recovery
Variety = micronutrients and antioxidants
A fueled body will heal faster than a starving body…
Give your body the rest and nutrients it needs so that you can jump back into your sport when the time is right and perform even better than before!
