Nutrition is the underlying foundation for optimal sports performance and quick recovery. A poor foundation will translate to suboptimal performance and increased susceptibility to sports injuries. Emphasizing proper nutrition is, therefore, key to fueling the body for injury prevention and optimal performance.

Adequate nutrition can enhance sporting performance. Being the biggest and most glamorous sporting event on earth, the nutritional habits and opinions of Olympic athletes will always be of paramount interest.

For instance, in , there were strong rumors that multiple Olympic swimming gold medalists Michael Phelps consumed 12, calories a day while training for the Beijing Olympics. In March , another multi-Olympic gold medalist, Caeleb Dressel told USA Today that though he was unsure of the number of calories he consumed daily, his intake may be similar to that of his compatriot Phelps.

The ultimate aim is to fuel up for better performance. The few nutritional recommendations below will ensure not only high-level performance but also speedy recovery from strenuous exercise and injuries. It also helps athletes train better and recover faster.

Adequate amounts of macronutrients, micronutrients, and fluids are essential for activity, growth, and improved recovery time. To optimize performance, athletes must be aware of what, when, and how to eat and drink before, during, and after activity.

Balancing energy consumption with energy expenditure is an important way of preventing energy deficits or excesses. Energy deficits can lead to delayed puberty, short stature, menstrual dysfunction, loss of muscle mass, and an increased likelihood of fatigue, injury, or sickness. Energy excess can bring about overweight, obesity, and associated problems.

One of the trickiest aspects of sports nutrition is meal planning for athletic events. The timing of meals is crucial to success and needs to be personalized.

For years, recovery nutrition recommendations have been based on eating the first recovery meal or snack within minutes of completing the activity. The recommendation arose due to research by sports scientists, which found that skeletal muscle sensitivity increases after strenuous physical activity and that muscles can assimilate and metabolize nutrients more readily within that time.

As an athlete, it is essential to identify the performance-enhancing foods you like to ensure performance optimization. Avoid experimenting with new foods or new nutrition-based training methods when competition is very close. Recovery foods should be consumed within minutes of exercise and again within one hour to two hours of exercise to help reload muscles with glycogen and accelerate recovery time.

The post workout chocolate milk craze is not a myth. According to a study published in the European Journal of Sport Science, chocolate milk has everything you need to properly recover from an intense workout: carbs, proteins, fats, water, and electrolytes.

I-Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid that has been found to relieve post-exercise muscle soreness and improve exercise performance, according to a study published in in the Journal of Sport and Health Science.

Watermelon and watermelon juice is very high in this amino acid, and has been shown to improve recovery when studied as part of post-workout nutrition in athletes. You can find more of her work in HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.

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What Is Dr. Skip to Content Fitness Health Gear Style Grooming. sign in. Calcium Calcium helps to build strong bones, as well as regulate nerve impulses, blood clotting, and muscle strength.

Top 3 foods: kale, yogurt and almonds. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates provide energy for your muscles, brain and nerves.

Top 3 foods: whole grains, carrots and sweet potatoes. Fiber Constipation is a common risk after surgery. Top 3 foods: raspberries, nuts, and beans. Iron Most surgeries will involve an expected loss of blood.

Top 3 foods: garbanzo beans, spinach and cashews. Magnesium Magnesium provides a soothing, relaxing effect. Top 3 foods: nuts, seeds, and avocado. Potassium Potassium keeps your heart healthy , grows new cells, and helps your muscles with their work.

Top 3 foods: squash, sweet potato and white beans. Protein Amino Acids The amino acids in protein help to rebuild the damaged tissue.

Top 3 foods: eggs, poultry and beans. Vitamin A Vitamin A will help your body to build up new bone, tissue, mucus membrane, or skin. Top 3 foods: carrots, sweet potatoes and apricots. Vitamin B Vitamin B is needed to create red blood cells and keep your brain functioning.

Top 3 foods: meat, seafood and eggs. Vitamin C Vitamin C provides the collagen protein that is responsible for repairing tendons, ligaments and healing both your incision and the repairs inside your body. Top 3 foods: oranges, strawberries and bell peppers.

Vitamin E Vitamin E belongs to the antioxidant group. Top 3 foods: sunflower seeds, swiss chard and asparagus. Vitamin K Without vitamin K, your blood is not able to clot. Top 3 foods: brussels sprouts, broccoli and romaine lettuce.

Added sugars. Food and drink with added sugar offer your taste buds a quick reward, but the added sugar is high in calories and gives your body no nutritional value.

You may feel a short burst of energy and alertness but will quickly feel more drained and tired. Bacteria and viruses thrive on sugar, which is one more reason to avoid sugary foods after surgery.

Highly processed foods. After surgery, you may have a small appetite and be tempted to indulge in whatever sounds good. Highly processed foods are usually white, sweet and come in a package. Or they are artificially colored. These foods primarily provide your body with carbohydrates.

This causes blood sugar spikes and high insulin levels. Both drain your body of energy and the ability to heal. Processed foods are also often stripped of fiber, which helps to keep your bowels moving. After surgery constipation can be a serious and uncomfortable condition.

Counter this problem by adding extra vegetables and limiting processed foods in your diet. You might look forward to having a drink to unwind or relax post-surgery. But alcohol slows down the rate of blood clotting and makes your blood thinner. This can cause your incision to take longer to heal and you will also have an increased risk of bleeding.

Alcohol also impairs your immune system, putting you at a higher risk for infection. Following surgery, you will heal faster when there is less swelling. Alcohol causes blood vessels to swell. One of the biggest reasons to avoid alcohol is how it affects your pain levels. You may think that a drink will help you feel better, but alcohol does not mix well with pain medication prescribed by your doctor.

It can even be deadly to mix alcohol and pain pills. Tips for a Fast Recovery after Surgery Along with eating healthy after surgery, here are a few tips that can help you get back on your feet quicker. Manage your pain. You will experience pain after your surgery but following the pain medication plan that your doctor gives you can help.

Make sure you are able to move comfortably. To help you sleep, you may want to ask your doctor if they recommend you take something before heading to bed.

Get adequate rest. Sleep is when your body can repair and heal. Make sure that you set aside time each day for rest. Set up your night environment to be comfortable and calming and allow yourself regular rest periods throughout the day.

Get moving. Physical activity is just as important as rest. Do not push yourself to the point of injury.

Research shows that vitamin C is helpful in rebuilding collagen and soft tissue, meaning your incision site will heal quicker. The vitamins and minerals you will find in vegetables are some of the most important nutrients in your healing diet.

Including these veggies in your daily diet adds a healthy source of carbohydrates, which will help you battle post-surgery fatigue. Carbohydrates provide your brain with energy and stop muscle from breaking down.

Your body will also get a boost of vitamin A and C. Another great benefit is that the fiber in a diet high in vegetables reduces constipation, which is a common side effect of pain medication and decreased mobility.

Remember, healthy fat is your friend. Especially following surgery, healthy fat helps your body absorb all those yummy vitamins you are getting from your fruits and veggies. Fat is essential for strengthening your immune system and decreasing your chance of infection.

Fats provide you with a long-lasting source of energy. Many types of fats and nuts are high in vitamin E, particularly almonds.

Vitamin E also helps wounds heal faster and reduce the appearance of scars. Leafy greens may not be as popular as colorful berries and yummy fats, but they are vitally important! A hearty serving of green on your plate or in your smoothie gives you a dose of vitamin A, C, and E, as well as vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting.

You will also be absorbing the B-complex vitamins, which help with energy levels. Greens are like a multivitamin! As we age, it is important to eat adequate amounts of protein. Following surgery, our bodies need a lot of protein and iron to help repair muscles that might have been injured during surgery.

Amino acids in the protein help repair muscle damage by regenerating tissue and speeding up wound healing. Iron will help you regain your energy levels more quickly as iron creates new blood cells. After surgery, you may find that you have difficulty digesting or even chewing tougher meats. Try meats that have been slow-cooked in sauces or ground meats.

Another excellent source of protein is our next powerhouse food. Nature has provided us with an ideal healing food neatly packed in a shell.

Eggs are a traditional first meal to serve to invalids and recovering individuals and with good reason. All those nutrients we have already discussed as being vital for a quick recovery. The best part is that eggs are easy to serve and prepare.

Probiotics are the happy, healthy bacteria that your body needs to digest food, provide mental balance and fight off all the germs and infections you are prone to after a hospital stay or procedure. Some of the most common forms of probiotic-rich foods are:.

Surgery can be rough on your system. Anesthetics, antibiotics and painkillers upset the delicate balance in your gut leaving you with digestive upsets, constipation and nausea. A healthy dose of probiotics can help to regulate your system.

Who says that healing foods are boring? After surgery, it is even more important to eat all the colors of the rainbow. Pile a bowl full of the brightest colored fruits and veggies and get a good dose of vitamin A, C, carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants, and the nutritious calories your body needs to bounce back.

Fiber is essential following surgery to avoid the discomfort of constipation. Fruits provide that fiber with a dose of color, vitamins, and energy-boosting carbs. Not only are fruits a powerhouse of healing nutrition but they are also light on the stomach and ideal for small, regular portions.

Eating plenty of whole grains after surgery will provide your body with the carbohydrates your brain needs for energy and stops your muscles from breaking down. Whole grains also give you another dose of fiber.

You are going to feel tired and worn out following your surgery and the right kind of carbs will bring your energy levels up. The bulk of your vitamins and minerals will be coming from your healthy fats, veggies, fruit, and proteins. But carbohydrates are an important part of the healing puzzle.

The easiest and most overlooked thing we need after surgery is water. Dehydration is common and maintaining adequate levels of hydration will help you recover quicker.

Depending on the type of surgery you have and the medications you are on, your requirements for fluid may be higher than usual.

Each of these nutrients plays an important role in helping you heal. Eating a well-balanced diet can help you get all these nutrients.

The foods listed are suggestions that are high in each nutrient but there are many other sources. Calcium helps to build strong bones, as well as regulate nerve impulses, blood clotting, and muscle strength. Carbohydrates provide energy for your muscles, brain and nerves.

Constipation is a common risk after surgery. This can be caused by a lack of activity and pain medication. Fiber is a necessary bulking agent that keeps your system moving. Most surgeries will involve an expected loss of blood. Iron is vital for the creation of new red blood cells.

Magnesium provides a soothing, relaxing effect. Adequate amounts of magnesium can relieve sore muscles and promote better sleep quality.

Potassium keeps your heart healthy , grows new cells, and helps your muscles with their work. Protein: Protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass and for building and repairing body tissues.

So as your body is healing, you will need more protein. We recommend eating a variety of protein-rich foods like chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and seeds. Nutrient-Dense Foods: These are foods that have a lot of vitamins and minerals — important for health. Examples of nutrition-dense foods includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean meat, skinless poultry, peas and beans, and healthy fats like avocado, nuts, and seeds.

Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamins D, C and E, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids help your immune system heal from being sick or injured. Taking a daily multi-vitamin with these nutrients can be a good way to have enough but ask your doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements.

The best way to get these important vitamins and minerals, though, is in what you eat. Eat as many nutrient-dense foods listed above as you can every day — at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables frozen, fresh, canned, blended in smoothies, vegetable-based soups, etc.

Probiotics: Antibiotics are a powerful tool against bacterial infections, but they can disrupt your gut microbiome the good bacteria and other microbes living in your intestines that help you digest your food , leaving you with side effects like diarrhea. If you need antibiotics, consider taking a supplement or eating plenty of probiotic foods during and after treatment.

Though post-exercise nutrition is of extreme importance to competitive athletes, not all physically active individuals require a recovery snack or meal. For example, athletes involved in low-intensity training e.

Neither do kids taking part in a recreational sport lasting between 40 minutes and an hour. For these lower levels of activity, the most ideal way to get nourishment is to have a balanced meal.

In contrast, nutrition via a recovery meal or snack is essential for athletes that indulge in strenuous, exhaustive training, engage in more than one training session or competition on the same day or at short intervals, or are trying to alter their body composition.

Research conducted on proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, antioxidants, and dietary supplements indicates that they are vital and effective when it comes to muscle recovery. However, it is very necessary to consider recommendations on the quantity, timing, and chemical composition of each nutritional element in order to maximize their effectiveness, especially in accordance with the principle of sports specificity.

One of the biggest misconceptions out there is that huge amounts of protein are required after exercise. Despite this popular impression, carbohydrates remain the most important nutrient needed in a recovery meal or snack. Carbs have a more essential role in recovery than most athletes think.

That is not to say that proteins are not important. But carbohydrates are more important. Foods that are rich in carbohydrates assist in replenishing the glycogen used during physical activity, while proteins play a vital role in muscle protein synthesis as well as the breakdown of spare protein.

In other words, it is only when your muscle glycogen stores have been replenished that a new phase of recovery the rebuilding of muscle tissue can commence. Protein-rich meals will provide the amino acids crucial for the repair of muscle tissue after strenuous physical activity.

Research findings show that the consumption of high-biological protein ensures the optimization of muscle protein synthesis in response to exercise.

Fluids and electrolytes are also essential. Adequate rehydration after physical activity is an important aspect of recovery. Nutrition is the underlying foundation for optimal sports performance and quick recovery. A poor foundation will translate to suboptimal performance and increased susceptibility to sports injuries.

Emphasizing proper nutrition is, therefore, key to fueling the body for injury prevention and optimal performance. Adequate nutrition can enhance sporting performance.

Starting slow and setting goals will ease the patient into exercise while improving range of motion, strength, and endurance. Implementing a small amount of exercise throughout the day will improve physical endurance and improve mood.

For example, taking a walk at lunch and stretching while watching TV. Taking breaks from exercising will allow the body to rest and recover. Individuals should always contact their doctor before starting any fitness program to prevent injury. These professionals will work with individuals to create a recovery plan that includes slowly introducing meals and exercise.

Nutritious meals include the following:. Water is also needed to keep hydrated and the body healthy by flushing out waste. Water helps regulate the digestive system , helps the body absorb nutrients, and promotes skin health and energy. Meal plans, setting goals, and keeping healthy foods on hand in the fridge and pantry will go a long way in helping individuals improve health and assist in the recovery process.

PrevendEd provides individuals and their families with the resources they need to begin their journey to recovery. Eating grams of high-quality, lean protein after a workout will maximize protein synthesis to repair muscles and enhance muscle growth.

When participating in tournament play or multiple workouts in a day which leave less than 2 hours to recover, athletes may want to forego eating protein until after completing the events or eat a smaller amount.

Knowing how your body reacts in these circumstances will help you choose what works best for you. Rehydrating: Athletes can lose a large amount of electrolytes and fluid through sweating.

For each pound of lost water, an athlete should consume ounces of liquid. Water is often sufficient, but sports drinks containing electrolytes and carbohydrates can help replenish what the body has used up during the workout, especially those lasting over 60 minutes.

Staying well-hydrated in conjunction with exercise involves drinking fluids before, during, and after working out. To avoid dehydration, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends ounces of water hours prior to working out, ounces every minutes during workout, and ounces for every pound of lost fluid after workout.

When to Eat for Recovery Because your muscles are thought to be most receptive to nutrients like carbohydrates and protein for about 30 minutes after a hard effort, you want to aim to begin recovery eating within this period.

One serving size nutritional protein options include: ½ cup beans lean beef Low-fat string cheese 1 oz. skinless, white chicken meat ¼ cup cottage cheese 1 egg or 2 egg whites 1 oz. fish grilled, baked, or broiled or canned tuna 1 cup skim milk 1 oz. It is amazing what nutrition can do for our bodies and our daily lives.

Nutrition helps our overall health by assisting our body in fighting diseases, recovering from illness and injury, and so much more. Talk to one of our RDNs today to learn more. Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health NOAH is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U. NOAH is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Here are recommendations to have a balanced, healthy diet to help your recovery. You might also like Back to Bed for Back to School. Is it Time for Your Medicare Wellness Visit?

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