Sports nutrition feels complicated enough when you’re healthy. When you’re injured and taking time off from running to recover, knowing what and when to eat can become even more confusing. In reality, the building blocks of a nourishing runner’s diet don’t change that much during injury, Laura Reece, MS, RD, director of nutrition at Women’s Health, Sports & Performance Medical in Brighton, Massachusetts, tells Runner’s World.
Food provides the raw materials and energy your body needs to repair damage and rebuild stronger, whether you’re recovering from a set of hard mile repeats or a torn Achilles tendon. But some nuances can prove beneficial during the recovery process. Here, three sports dietitians explain how to fuel your comeback.
Don’t let an injury derail your training. Dive into the Runner’s World Guide to Common Running Injuries to learn how to spot, treat, recover from, and prevent injuries, and visit the Runner’s World Guide to Nutrition and Fueling to develop a healthy fueling routine that supports your training plan. Surgery can raise your metabolic rate—the amount of energy you burn at rest—by about 20 percent, an effect that can last weeks after you leave the operating room, says Emily Barnhart, R.D., a board certified sports dietitian with the U.S.
Olympic and Paralympic Committee. If you’re on crutches, walking is more taxing than it is without them. Physical therapy and cross-training, too, require fuel.
What’s more, many runners are underfueled in the first place (more on that in a minute)and restricting further when you’re hurt could prolong your recovery and damage your health. Protein provides the building blocks for tissue repair; think of them like bricks, Barnhart says. Carbohydrates act as the construction workers, providing energy for the healing process and for physical therapy and other activities.
Fats—especially omega-3s and other healthy fats found in foods like avocado and walnuts—reduce inflammation, support hormone health, and also act as an energy source when you’re resting or working at a lower heart rate, Reece says. Barnhart thinks of them as “the garbage trucks that keep our construction site nice and clean and functioning properly.” The exact ratios and amounts might change as healing proceeds, Barnhart says. Early on—after surgery, or if you’re in a cast or walking boot—she recommends athletes bump up their protein intake, aiming for 1.8 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (about .8 to 1 gram per pound) daily.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
