Stages of injury
Musculoskeletal injury recovery incorporates two stages: 1. the healing and recovery phase and 2. the return to activity. The healing and recovery process is complex, and it begins with an inflammatory response. This response can last hours or days, but it is crucial to healing. It can be tempting to try and reduce this inflammation with excess medications and supplementation, but the inflammation process is a necessary stage for the healing to occur and the process should not be interfered with to a great degree.
Injury usually results in muscle disuse, strength loss, and muscle loss. The body breaks down more protein than what it’s building, because the body is less able to build new proteins at this stage. Substantial muscle can be lost just in the first two weeks of inactivity from injury. The idea behind nutrition intervention in supporting recovery is: 1. to increase rate of healing so that a person can return to the sport and 2. prevent muscle loss. Here are some nutrition factors to consider in supporting recovery and mitigating muscle loss.
Energy intake
People tend to try and reduce calories when they suffer an injury to avoid gaining excess body fat. Energy expenditure will be reduced from lack of movement, however the resting energy expenditure during wound healing can be increased by up to 15-50% depending on the type of injury. Therefore, although you will be using less energy from inactivity, the healing of the injury itself is an energy-expensive process; a balance needs to be struck between not consuming excess calories whilst getting enough so that the healing process isn’t compromised.
Protein
Protein intake is important during the healing process because the process involves making collagen (structural protein of connective tissues) as well as other proteins, and a large reduction in protein will result in muscle loss. To aid recovery and reduce muscle loss, the recommended protein intake is around 1.8-2.5 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day. This would equate to 20-40 grams of protein per meal which should be spread evenly across the day to maximally stimulate protein synthesis.
Micronutrients
There are several vitamins and minerals involved in the healing process such as vitamin A, C, E, and D. Deficiency should be avoided so that the recovery process is not impaired. Supplementing with multivitamins will not promote further benefits. Having a varied diet that includes a variety of different coloured fruits and vegetables will ensure that you meet your needs.
Omega 3 fatty acids
Omega 3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that can support healing. However, taking omega 3 supplements can impair the healing process, in particularly if this is within the early stages (e.g., the first week following injury). There is some evidence that omega 3 fatty acids may be beneficial for retaining muscle and so food sources of omega 3 should still be consumed such as oily fish (e.g., salmon, mackerel, trout) and plant sources such as walnuts and flaxseed. However, plant sources of omega 3 are not absorbed as efficiently.
Key points
- Don’t drastically reduce calories as this could hamper the recovery process. Speak with a qualified nutrition professional who can help you to work out your energy needs.
- Have a daily protein intake of 1.8-2.5 grams per kilogram of body weight and spread this evenly across the day.
- Ensure you have a balanced varied diet rich in fruits and vegetables so that you avoid becoming deficient in any nutrient.
Ann-Marie is a registered Sport and Exercise Nutritionist. If you would like to learn more about this topic or any other, please get in touch.