How to Stay Active & Fuel With an Injury
Staying active and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet are two of the most important foundations for a healthy and happy lifestyle. Dietitians, especially here at Abigail Nutrition, focus on fueling the body with whole foods filled with protein and fiber to increase energy throughout the day. Dietitians can also advise patients on how to optimize diet for exercise, and how to incorporate more activity into their day.
Yet what happens if you become injured during activity? Does injury change the way you should fuel your body?
There are many reasons why athletes become injured—overuse, poor form, being prone to injuries, etc. Whatever the reason, an injury can in fact alter your nutritional needs. This is because injuries require the body’s repair mechanisms to kick in, meaning that our diet becomes integral in aiding our bodies to repair optimally.
So how does diet change with an injury? The first step in the repair mechanism is inflammation. This is the body’s way of sending and receiving signals that an area needs to be repaired, and involves lots of energy use. Though inflammation is a normal bodily response to injury, we don’t want to prolong this inflammation or make it worse. Antioxidants play a huge role in reducing inflammation, as they help reduce free radical damage that occurs due to inflammation in the body. In short, antioxidants help calm inflammation.
It’s no surprise that antioxidant-rich foods are also those that are high in fiber and other vitamins and minerals to improve overall health and fuel the body for optimal function. Fruits like blueberries, cherries, pineapple, avocado and citrus fruits, and veggies like leafy greens, bell peppers, broccoli and cauliflower are particularly high in antioxidants.
Another nutrient we want to focus on when recovering from an injury is protein. Protein is an important macronutrient not only for keeping us satiated, but it is responsible for all of the building and repair that goes on in our bodies. We need protein for hair and nail growth, for muscle building and repair after strength training, and to build hormones and signaling molecules. Protein becomes especially important during injury so that the body can adequately repair the injured area. Lean forms of protein like poultry, fish, eggs, edamame, tofu, tempeh, beans, and other legumes are great sources of protein. Many sources of lean protein contain other essential nutrients too—for example, plant sources like edamame and beans also contain fiber, fish contain omega-3 fats for heart and brain health, and eggs contain all of our fat-soluble vitamins.
Many times athletes who fuel for exercise reduce their diet intake when it comes to injury, as they are not able to maintain the same level of activity as before. However, it is important to see a nutrition specialist like a dietitian to ensure that you consume adequate calories despite reduced levels of activity. If you consume too little calories, your body will not be able to recover from injury as quickly or as efficiently as if you maintained adequate calorie intake with a high-protein, antioxidant, and whole-foods-rich diet.
Additionally with injury it’s important to reduce impact on the injured area. Listen to your body—if you feel pain, reduce or eliminate activity that causes the pain. Practice strength training and strengthen areas that are recovering from injury in order to optimize recovery. See a trainer for best exercises to complete for your specific injury.
There are ways to be active that don’t include high-impact training or rigorous exercise! At Abigail Nutrition we counsel joyful movement, which includes any form of movement and activity that brings you joy and happiness. Maybe it’s swimming, walking, dancing, yoga, pilates, playing a sport—whatever it is, do what you enjoy! Know that you don’t need to force yourself through rigorous exercise to stay healthy and strong. Listen to your body and do what’s right for you!
By Jessica Kaplan