Foods And Nutrients To Speed up Healing

If you break a bone or suffer from a serious injury as an athlete there are ways you can help  speed up the healing process. 

Now before we dive in make sure you like and subscribe for more Sports Nutrition tips. 

Alright - first many athletes make the mistake by cutting back their calories after they get  injured. They typically think they will gain weight or don’t need as many calories if they’re not  training. 

This is a mistake. 

Energy expenditure increases depending on the severity of the injury: long bone fractures, for  example, may increase your basal metabolic rate 1 by 15-20%. (BMR) Basal metabolic rate  is the amount of energy that is expended at rest.

This is the amount of calories your body  needs to operate at rest. So - If your basal metabolic rate is 2,000 calories a day. You need an  extra 300-400 calories to heal a broken bone. 

If your overall energy and protein needs are not met, body tissues  such as muscles and ligaments will begin to break down. This will  compromise healing and may prolong your recovery period. 

First let's discuss protein.  

Half of the volume of your bone is protein. Dietary protein builds  and repairs bones, and supplies essential amino acids. When a  fracture occurs, the body gathers protein building blocks together  to synthesize a new structural bone protein matrix.  

In addition, protein supplementation increases growth factors  like insulin-like growth factor-1, (IGF-1) is a polypeptide that  exerts a positive effect on skeletal integrity, muscle strength,  immune response, and bone renewal.  

Protein malnutrition leads to a “rubbery” callus, compared to the  rigid calluses of those with adequate or high protein intake.  Studies show fractures heal faster with a 10 to 20-gram increase  in protein. 

So how much protein do you need? 

Well research suggests an intake of .45 to .68 grams of protein  per pound of bodyweight. I like to go with the high side.  

So - If you weigh 170 pounds, multiply 170 by .68 (the high end).  At 170 pounds your daily recommended protein intake is 115  grams. 

You can get your protein from meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk,  cheese, legumes, soy products, nuts, and seeds. 

However - red meats can lead to inflammation which is not great  for healing. If you do eat red meat go for grass fed grass finished  beef. 

And know - dairy can make constipation worse - which  constipation is a normal side effect of surgery and pain killers. So  be a bit cautious on how much dairy you consume. 

One way to help get enough protein is by drinking Whey  Awesome Sauce. Whey Awesome sauce is a pure whey isolate protein designed for our high performance athletes. You can  check out more at CellSauce.com 

Whey Awesome Sauce

Next you want to make sure you getting adequate carbohydrates.  I know there’s some controversy on carbs out there. But carbs  give your body energy for healing. And they help prevent protein  and muscle breakdown. 

Just make sure your carbs are complex carbohydrates and not  processed simple sugars. 

The processed carbs and sugars increase inflammation and slow  down healing.

Get your carbs from fruits, vegetables, legumes, rice, grains and  sweet potatoes.  

One easy clean source of carbohydrates is Carb Sauce. Many pro  and amateur athletes use Carb Sauce both during exercise and  during injury to increase their carbohydrate intake. You can check  out more at CellSauce.com 

Next you want to boost your vitamin intake.

Here’s a few critical vitamins to help speed up your recovery.

Vitamin A helps in wound healing and growth, maintenance of skin. It also  stimulates the immune response and helps form normal outer and inner skin.  Good sources of Vitamin A include carrots, leafy greens, red bell pepper, sweet  potato, and cantaloupe.  

Vitamin C – is needed for the speed and strength associated with wound  healing. It forms collagen in bones, cartilage, muscle, and blood vessels. It is  also one of the most important antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients.  In severe vitamin C deficiency, collagen becomes too unstable to function  properly, which results in skin lesions and fragile blood vessels with eventual  bleeding from all mucous membranes.  

Plus - A tendency to black and blue without reason is most often a sign of sub clinical vitamin C deficiency.  

Because of Vitamins C’s essential role in bone collagen formation, it’s required  for fracture healing. Good sources include kiwi, oranges, tomatoes,  strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and potatoes.  

Next is Vitamin D. It's an essential nutrient in the formation, maintenance, and  repair of bones. It’s the primary regulator of calcium absorption and without  adequate vitamin D, calcium blood level drops making less calcium available for  fracture healing.  

Plus - we now know that vitamin D, in conjunction with vitamin K, stimulates the  transformation of fracture site stem cells to bone building osteoblasts. Good sources include fortified milk, egg yolk, salmon, tuna, and direct exposure  of skin to sunlight (10-20 minutes, two times per week without sunscreen). 

Vitamin K - is an essential part of the biochemical processes that bind calcium  to bone and it is required for proper formation of the osteocalcin bone protein. In 

addition, vitamin K helps conserve calcium by reducing the loss of calcium in  the urine.  

Now that you now which vitamins are crucial - lets talk about minerals. The first mineral important to bone healing is calcium. 

Calcium – is an essential mineral for bone repair/soft tissue healing, proper  blood clotting, muscle contraction (especially normal heartbeat rhythm).  Good sources of calcium are Milk and milk products, as well as dark green leafy  vegetables. 

Moving on to Zinc. 

Zinc is involved in the early remodeling of collagen and may accelerate wound  healing in patients following surgery. Primary sources include oysters, lean  meats, fish, poultry, legumes, whole grain breads and cereals.  

The next mineral is copper. 

Copper is necessary for collagen formation, as well as bone and joint integrity.  Copper is in most foods, but especially oysters and other shellfish, whole grains,  legumes, nuts, potatoes and dark leafy greens. 

Lastly - additional electrolytes may do your body good.

Postoperative surgery patients are prone to electrolyte imbalance. This is often a  result from the loss of blood and bodily fluids, the stress response to surgery,  intravenous fluid administration, blood transfusion, and the underlying surgical  disease. 

So adding a clean source of electrolytes can help your body rebalance and  rehydrate. 

One of the best drinks you could use to help recover from injury is Hydration  Sauce. Hydration Sauce has key electrolytes, important amino acids, and  complex carbohydrates. 

Have a closer look at hydration Sauce by visiting CellSauce.com/Hydration 

I hope this helps you in your quest for faster recovery. Remember to like and subscribe and I’ll  see you on the next video.