This is an interesting subject! There are a lot of conflicting thoughts regarding this topic but let’s have a look through.
Most people’s first thought would be to reduce the calorie intake as they aren’t working out or being anywhere near as active as they were pre-injury, however, when injured, the body’s natural processes kick into a higher gear, and a body busy with recovery consumes more energy than a body at rest. Drastically cutting your calorie intake can hinder the recovery process, slowing down recovery and prolonging the return to working out or the person’s sport.
For injured people who are given crutches as an aid, the effects are multiplied. Anyone who has used these before will agree, using crutches wear you out! Weary shoulders and arms are an expression of the demand that crutches put on you.
When using crutches your energy expenditure is much higher than walking, as you must stabilise all the way through your shoulders and arms.
Whether you are using crutches or not, fewer calories mean a drop in strength or power.
From a metabolic point of view (the amount of energy required to maintain tissue) you could class muscle as a very high-priced plot of land.
If you cut too many calories, muscle is one of the first things you lose, it is better to monitor the injured persons weight fluctuations rather than the number of calories they consume. It could be said that it is better to retain as much muscle mass as possible, even if you put on one or two pounds.
So, what are the best nutritional facts for gym goers who are recovering from injury?
Eat a well-balanced diet, with a huge emphasis on fruit and vegetables. The dietary requirements you follow when you are training are just as important when you are recovering from an injury.
I can guarantee most people will look for a magic nutritional fact sheet for when they are injured, trust me, in a blind panic, I did, I must’ve researched every nutritional book, website and revisited all of my initial training but it simply comes back to the same principles as when they are training – a well-balanced diet.
If you are used to undertaking high intensity training, then you will probably find you eat a lot of carbohydrates, so your breads and potatoes, which the body rapidly burns when taking part in HIIT training. When you are injured, you don’t need quite as many as when you were training, instead, swap and focus on healthy proteins.
Higher amounts of protein, like what you would be consuming if you were undergoing intense training, help retain muscle mass, so make sure your diet includes lots of chicken, poultry, fish, lean beef, and try to cut back on the bread and potatoes.
Keeping hydrated is still super important. Injured people won’t sweat as much as people in training, and they might not think about the importance of maintaining their hydration levels. But as a key component to overall general health, it is still recommended that injured people remain conscious about remaining hydrated.
Don’t look for a magic pill.
Super doses of vitamins and minerals or anti-inflammatories don’t necessarily speed up the healing process. The initial inflammation that accompanies injury, in fact, serves as a catalyst for the body’s healing process, so the introduction of large quantities of anti-inflammatories can deter, rather than encourage, healing, obviously, always follow your GP/Healthcare Providers/Physios recommendations.
As frustrating as it may be, and believe me, I know how frustrating it is, the best course is the steady and sensible approach, not an overnight quick fix.
Give the body the building blocks it needs, eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats, and be sure that you’re consuming enough calories to support the healing process. From there, add in appropriate rehab exercises and let the body do what it does best!
For more information on nutrition and calorie intake when injured, speak to a member of Team SF. Info@spikefitness.co.uk or call 07597215652