Nutrition for Rehab
Understandably, we want a fast recovery from injury to be able to return to our daily activities and get back onto our feet. In addition to our rehabilitation exercises and proper sleep, nutrition is a crucial factor that can contribute to enhancing your recovery.
Energy/Calories
The inclination to significantly reduce energy intake (create a calorie deficit) may arise with decreased physical activity; however, this is not advisable. Throughout the recovery phase, our body requires additional energy to ensure weight maintenance and preservation of lean muscle mass. A combination of ineffective training due to injury, and low energy intake can accelerate muscle loss. The goal is to adhere to maintenance calories to minimise both fat gain and muscle loss. Maintenance calories are the amount of energy or calories that your body requires to sustain its current weight while performing its normal functions (1).
Protein
Protein plays a crucial role in recovery to help reduce the risk of muscle and strength loss.
Current recommendations for adults during injury recovery is 1.6-2.5g of protein/kg/day (2).
Examples of protein:
Lean beef, chicken, turkey, eggs, fish, prawns
Dairy products: natural yoghurt, milk, hard cheese
Legumes: lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, tofu, edamame beans
Anti-inflammatory Foods
Anti-inflammatory foods assist in reducing inflammation within the body, contributing to enhanced mobility at the site of injury.
Examples of anti-inflammatory foods:
Omega-3 (animal-based is more readily absorbed than plant-based).
Animal: 2-3x oily fish per week: salmon, sardines, mackerel, or a fish oil tablet
Plant: Chia seeds, walnuts, linseeds daily
Wholegrains & legumes (our main sources of fibre).
Oats, wholegrain bread, spelt pasta, brown rice, quinoa
Lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans
Dark leafy greens (the darker in colour, the better)
Kale, silverbeet, spinach, broccoli
Bright red, blue, purple fruit & vegetables
Berries, cherries, acai, red grapes
Beetroot, red cabbage, purple flesh potato
Spices (the stronger the flavour the more antioxidants it contains)
Ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric (pair with black pepper to activate the antioxidant properties)
Green Tea
Supplements
Meeting our increased nutritional needs solely through food can be challenging, which is where the value of supplements come into play.
Vitamin D and Calcium
Vitamin D and calcium are both crucial nutrients for our bone health, and particularly for any bone related injuries, such as fractures. If you are deficient in vitamin D, or if you do not consume many dairy products, taking a vitamin D and calcium supplement may be beneficial (1 & 2).
Collagen and Gelatine
For any soft tissue injuries (such as ligaments or tendons), emerging research suggests that collagen may help to enhance injury repair.
Choosing a collagen supplement over whey protein is based on the fact that collagen contains specific amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, which aid in the repair of soft tissue. In contrast, whey protein is primarily utilized for muscle building (3).
Protocol:
>15g hydrolysed collagen, 40-60 minutes before your rehab exercises. This is when the collagen is at its peak in the blood stream.
Pair collagen with sources of vitamin C to help with the absorption (e.g. orange juice, piece of fruit)
Creatine
Supplementing with creatine is mainly to help prevent any loss of muscle and strength. Again, more research needs to be conducted in this area, but it may be beneficial for those on a longer rehab recovery period (2 & 3).
Protocol:
Loading phase: 20g per day for 5 days (optional)
~5g per day thereafter
References:
Smith-Ryan A.E, Hirsch K.R, Saylor H.E, et al. ‘Nutritional Considerations and Strategies to Facilitate Injury Recovery and Rehabilitation’. J Athl Train (2020) 55 (9): 918–930.
doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-550-19Aidan Muir. (2022). Nutrition for Injury Recovery: Things to Focus On.
https://www.idealnutrition.com.au/nutrition-for-injury-recovery-things-to-focus-on/.Johnston AP, Burke DG, MacNeil LG, Candow DG. ‘Effect of creatine supplementation during cast-induced immobilization on the preservation of muscle mass, strength, and endurance’. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Jan;23(1):116-20.
doi: 10.1519/jsc.0b013e31818efbcc.
Copyright: Lyndal Schnabel Dietitian 2024