Injures are an inevitable part of sports participation. Nutrition may not be able to keep an athlete completely injury-free, but it can support and often speed up injury recovery. Poor nutrition will impair recovery and lengthen the time it takes an athlete to return to play. Nutrition intervention by the sports dietitian should occur immediately following an injury. The athlete should be screened for nutrient deficiencies, energy balance, lipid balance, optimal hydration and sleep habits.

The nutrition plan should be tailored to an individual’s phase of injury, resting metabolic rate (RMR), physical activity level and desire to minimize any gains in fat mass.

Goals of nutrition intervention:

• Support muscle protein synthesis. 
• Preserve muscle mass. 
• Maintain energy balance. 
• Prevent body fat accrual.

Nutritional considerations:
Protein

• Helps athletes heal and repair muscle tissue.
• Should emphasize proteins with a high leucine content (aim for ~3g leucine per serving).
• Daily protein intake should be between 1.6-2.5g/kg BW/day (depending on phase of injury).
  Protein specifics:
• Meal dose: 20-40g (depending upon leucine content).
• Frequency: every ~3-4h (4-6 meals daily).
• Type: quickly digested proteins, high leucine content during the day (whey protein, part-skim cheddar cheese and lean meats are great sources); slowly digested proteins prior to sleep (i.e. low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat Greek yogurt).

Carbohydrate

• Used for fuel so the protein eaten can be used to heal and repair muscle tissue.
• Needs are typically lower to prevent excess weight gain. (The athlete should understand that some weight gain may be preferable to support a full recovery).
• Should include whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.
  Carbohydrate recommendations : should be 3-5g/kg BW/day.
• For a 170lb male = 232-386g/day (typical 4oz whole-wheat bagel = 60 grams).
• Choose low glycemic index foods (i.e. whole grains).

Fat

• Essential for healing, recovery and decreasing inflammation.
• Should come from anti-inflammatory nuts and nut butters, seeds, avocado, oily fish, flaxseed oil, extra virgin olive oil and omega-3 fish oil.
• Pro-inflammatory omega-6 vegetable oils, saturated and trans fats should be limited.
• Omega-6/omega-3 ratio should be low to enhance anti-inflammation.

Ultimately, a nutrition plan that includes a well-balanced diet from a variety of whole foods is best for a healing athlete. Athletes should maintain a nutritions diet on a daily basis to maximize nutrient stores rather than ramping up their nutrition once an injury occurs.

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