Nutrition for Recovery & Rehabilitation

Recovery

Recovery in (sports) nutrition refers to the period after intense physical activity or exercise. The goal of recovery nutrition is to replenish energy stores and muscle glycogen, promote muscle repair and growth, and rehydrate the body.

Replenish glycogen stores

Consume a combination of easily digestible and complex carbohydrates to restore energy levels. Such as bread, wraps, granola, rice, pasta or potatoes. Fruits also contain sugars which help with restoring glycogen stores.

Rebuild with protein

Protein intake is essential for muscle repair and growth. Lean meat, poultry, fish. Eggs. (greek) yogurt, milk, legumes or protein supplements are excellent options.

Rehydration

Replenish your body’s fluid stores after exercise by drinking water or electrolyte-rich beverages. It is crucial for restoring hydration levels and recovering from the losses made during exercise.

Fun fact: chocolate milk is a great recovery drink! As it includes all 3 - carbohydrates, protein and fluids!

Rehabilitation

Nutrition for rehabilitation refers to strategies used during the recovery process from an injury or surgery. Nutrition then plays a crucial role in supporting the healing process, reducing inflammation, and promoting tissue repair. Nailing your nutrition could shave some time off the recovery process and improve the odds of an effective recovery. While poor nutrition could dramatically slow down recovery. Some keys areas to consider include;

Appropriate calorie intake.

Avoid the temptation to cut calories dramatically. Although, decreasing calorie intake when calorie output decreases may be beneficial for weight management. Being low on calories can slow down the healing process. Additionally, the combination of low calories and a lack of training stimulus can speed up muscle loss. It is more difficult to build muscle and strength in a caloric deficit.

Consume sufficient proteins

Proteins can help to reduce the amount of muscle lost during inactivity. It can help with the increase in muscle and strength, which can be helpful in the rehab process. Additionally, consumption of proteins can help with the management of appetite if you are struggling with overconsumption of calories.

Consider the use of creatine, fish oil, collagen, calcium and/or vitamin D.

Creatine helps with muscle strengthening and building. It can help with the retention of lean muscle mass and reduce the loss of strength. Omega-3s (fish oil) can contribute to the process by enhancing anabolic sensitivity to amino acids as well as help from an anti-inflammatory perspective. There is emerging evidence indicating that specific collagen and gelatin supplementation protocols can help with injury recovery. However, timing and additional vitamin C is needed for absorption. For anything bone related, calcium and vitamin D can be helpful by increasing bone mineral density.

Both recovery and rehabilitation are crucial in exercise and physical activity, as they contribute to a person's overall well-being, performance, and longevity in their chosen activity.