Nutrition for the Recovery of Injuries
Nutrition for the Recovery of Injuries
There are many things you can do to help repair, or in a perfect world, prevent your injuries through proper supplementation and preventative maintenance at a competent chiropractic physician’s office. The most important thing you can remember is that 99% of the pain you feel comes from inflammation. All injuries result in inflammation and if you can control the inflammation, you can control the pain. I see people treat injuries all day long externally with compression, ice and elevation, but do very little to treat the injury from the inside out. By treating an injury with supplementation and nutrition, you will greatly reduce the time needed to heal. Let’s take a look at how you can facilitate the healing process of the body though nutrition and supplementation.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids are a natural anti-inflammatory compounds with anti-oxidative properties. Omega 3 fatty acids should be consumed daily by everyone to help control inflammation in the body. Omega 3 fatty acids will decrease your pain levels and supply your body with essential raw materials it needs to facilitate its own natural healing process.
Whey Protein is great to supplement the healing process because it supplies the body with a readily available and healthy protein source. Whey protein contains the highest BV (Biologic value) of any protein including egg, casein, milk, soy or beef. Whey protein contains all essential and non-essential amino acids as well as being an excellent source of branched chain amino acids (the building blocks of proteins).
Creatine is a supplement that is commonly used to speed recovery, build muscle mass, and prevent further muscle soreness. Creatine Monohydrate can increase your body’s cellular energy production system. This is a key component to healing because the more energy that is available for healing, the faster the recovery time.
B complex is commonly used as a satellite supplement to help your body’s support systems that maintain normal cellular function. B6 is used for tendon strength and nervous system health which is beneficial for any sprain and strain because it will involve a tendon or ligament in some capacity.
Magnesium is also a great additive to muscular recovery. Magnesium is an essential mineral that your body uses to heal its damaged tissues. In fact, I usually recommend Magnesium to all of my female patients and athletes alike. Magnesium is usually coupled with Calcium since the two works well together.
Joint support has always had mixed reviews but I personally find it beneficial to an injured athlete. Joint support products with natural anti-inflammatory compounds are much more beneficial that glucosamine and chondroitin alone. Look for additional ingredients like Bromlein, Papain, Curcumin, Tumeric, Boswelia and Arnica. These are naturally occurring compounds that will help reduce the inflammation and speed recovery.
You can take these supplements individually or there are a few quality products out there that realize the importance of recovery and have produced an overall recovery supplement. The one I recommend to my patients is JBN Recovery Fuel. Not only is this supplement an essential component of healing, it is also a great supplement to take after every workout.
Remember, with so many muscles, joints and ligaments involved in exercise, sooner or later, injury is impossible to avoid. Be smart, exercise smart, and train hard. Know how to decide how bad an injury or ache is and what to do about and when. Good nutrition is one of the most overlooked components of a healthy lifestyle and the addition to them, many times, will give you the advantage you need to recover faster, train harder, and live a healthier life.