In last week's blog post we talked about a few modalities that can improve your overall recovery.
Today's chat is going to be a little more specific to injuries to discuss various foods & supplements to help improve recovery & decrease down time.
Obviously there's no magic pill for a broken arm or ruptured ACL (lol.. trust me, I'd know), but every little bit helps! (Plus, there is some interesting supporting evidence for a few of these points.)
HIGH PROTEIN FOODS. Protein is the building block for not only muscles, but many tissues throughout your body. After a sports injury, typically that part of the body will be immobilized for a period of time. This typically leads to an unavoidable decrease in strength & muscle mass. However, focusing on having a high protein intake during the recovery period can help to minimize this loss. Protein rich foods include- poultry, fish, turkey or red meats. Protein can also be found in smaller amounts in tofu, peas, beans, nuts & seeds.
HEALTHY FATS & FISH OIL. Omega-3's are an essential fatty acid that is your body's prime defense line against chronic inflammation. Having a diet rich in healthy fats & Omega-3's after an injury can help to reduce the inflammation around that area. Omega-3's can be found in oily fish, seeds & raw walnuts. Typically most people don't eat nearly enough Omega-3's & consume more Omega-6's instead. So supplementing with a high quality fish oil may be a good option to help balance the ratio out.
My fav. fish oil- https://1stphorm.com/a/products/health-wellness/fish-oil/full-mega?a_aid=slynnmfitness
CREATINE MONOHYDRATE. Creatine is a substance that can be naturally found in meats, fish & poultry. It can be helpful to supplement with creatine monohydrate during an injury & during typical training sessions after you're recovered. Creatine monohydrate is the most scientifically researched, safest & proved sports performance supplement. It is used to increase muscle mass & improve performance during workouts. The typical dose of creatine monohydrate is 4-5g a day. My fav. creatine supplement- https://1stphorm.com/a/products/creatine/creatine-monohydrate/micronized-creatine-monohydrate?a_aid=slynnmfitness
MULTIVITAMIN.
May seem simple & self explanatory... but there is a lot of stress put on the body during an injury. The last thing it needs to worry about is if it has all of the micronutrients it needs. Supplementing with a high quality multivitamin ensure that your body is getting all the vitamins & minerals it needs to keep the recover process moving forward.
My fav. gender specific multivitamin- https://1stphorm.com/a/products/multi-vitamins/mens/m-factor?a_aid=slynnmfitness
COLLAGEN PEPTIDES. Your body's proteins are made up of 25-35% collagen, which makes it a major structural component. Your body naturally produces collagen, however once you hit around 25 years of age the production begins to naturally decline. (Which means that wound & injury healing takes longer) Type 1 Collagen makes up our bones, tendons, connective tissues & muscles throughout the body. Collagen also contains amino acids proline & glycine, which are natural anti-inflammatories & immune system boosters. Major food sources of collagen can be found in bone broth & hydrolyzed collagen supplements. My fav. collagen supplement- https://www.vitalproteins.com/products/collagen-peptides?variant=43393712134&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiAv9riBRANEiwA9Dqv1SbgSY4-XoM5dJXEHpOwHM6TAZMFcfUfMG2SX84wU4xhMRSbWjqMbhoCwDsQAvD_BwE
VITAMIN C. Vitamin C helps your body make collagen, which in turn helps to maintain the healthy structure of your bones, tendons, muscles & connective tissue. It also contains a powerful antioxidant & anti-inflammatory property that can be incredibly beneficial post-injury. Some foods high in vitamin C are- broccoli, strawberries, pineapples, papayas, oranges or red peppers.
ZINC.
Zinc is a mineral that is responsible for helping many enzymes & proteins that are involved in the wound & tissue healing process. I wouldn't recommend supplementing with Zinc, but rather get it from foods because Zinc competes with copper. Zinc rich foods include- meat, fish, shellfish, seeds, legumes, dairy, eggs & whole grains.
VITAMIN D & CALCIUM. Vitamin D helps your body absorb Calcium, so ensuring that your body has enough of both can be helpful to the recovery process. Calcium is a critical component of bones, teeth, muscle contractions & nerve signaling. Calcium rich foods include- dairy, leafy greens & almonds. Few foods contain Vitamin D, but your body has the ability to make its own when your skin is exposed to direct sunlight.