Action sports and a high risk of injury often go hand-in-hand. While we may accept this unfortunate reality, what is often overlooked is the critical role nutrition plays in how an athlete heals.
Any athlete is subject to a sports injury, but action sport athletes can face a higher incidence or severity of injury due to factors unique to their sport, such as: where they train and compete, the technical skills required, and the environmental conditions they face.
Nutrition is an underrated part of the injury recovery process, despite being a required and integral part of each phase. Proper nutrition ensures efficient healing, supports elevated nutrient needs, minimizes muscle loss (catabolism), and modulates the inflammatory process. Athletes who don't tap into the power of nutrition during the injury recovery period are doing a disservice to their bodies, health, and performance.
Nutrition strategies related to injury recovery are complex and vary based on the type, severity, and phase of the injury. Sports dietitians can help athletes create actionable nutrition plans, recommend specific foods and supplements that can benefit their recovery, and adjust their nutrition programming as the athlete progresses through different stages of the healing process. However, there are some easy to implement nutrition adjustments that action sport athletes can begin integrating when dealing with an injury.
4 Key Nutrition Strategies to Fuel Your Comeback
1. Eating Enough
The intuitive response when injured may be to reduce calorie intake due to decreased activity. However, an injury elevates the body's metabolic demand to support recovery. While post-injury energy needs may be lower than when training or competing, it is a common mistake for athletes to cut calories too significantly, which impairs the body's ability to heal and recover.
Try these tactics to help hit your daily meal targets:
- Use nutrient-dense smoothies to pack calories and healing ingredients when appetite is low (common post-concussion or post-surgery).
- Set reminders or alarms for meals and snacks to avoid long gaps and unintended under-fueling.
- Anchor meals to daily routines (e.g., after rehab/appointments) to maintain consistency.
2. Optimizing Hydration Status
Water is essential for supporting cell function, maintaining tissue integrity, aiding in wound healing, and ensuring adequate oxygen and nutrient delivery to the injured area.
- Target ½–1 oz of fluid per lb body weight daily (e.g., 170 lb → 85–170 oz/day; bias higher if urine runs dark).
- Use a refillable bottle with rubber bands to count refills; remove one band per refill.
- Consider a smart water bottle like this one if you prefer a higher tech option.
- Monitor urine color and adjust intake. The Hydration Tune-Ups include a Daily Hydration assessment to estimate needs and track status.
3. Ensuring Protein Meets the Body's Elevated Demands
Not meeting your body's protein needs can delay wound healing, slow injury recovery, and increase lean body mass loss. A safe and easily calculated goal for protein during injury is to get at least 1 gram/lb of body weight. Distribute that evenly throughout the day for meals and snacks to reach your target.
Portions of roughly 20 grams of protein include:
- 3 oz (deck of cards) fish, poultry, or red meat
- ¾ cup cottage cheese or Greek yogurt
- 2–3 whole eggs or 1 cup egg whites
- 1 cup tofu, lentils, or beans
- 2.5 cups milk
- 1 scoop whey isolate protein powder
For example, if you weigh 170 lbs, aim for 170 g of protein. If you typically eat 3 meals and 1 snack/day, aim for 50 g of protein at each meal and a 20-gram protein snack.
A 170 lb athlete may plan protein intake like this: 4 eggs, 3 oz chicken at breakfast; 7.5 oz salmon at lunch; ¾ cup cottage cheese or Greek yogurt for a snack; 7.5 oz sirloin steak at dinner.
It is helpful to add a protein-containing snack before bed as a final effort to ensure protein needs are met. This strategy assists with muscle protein synthesis overnight and supports recovery and lean mass maintenance. This could look like a smoothie with milk, Greek yogurt, or protein powder; a parfait made with Greek yogurt; a snack with tuna or salmon; etc.
4. Increasing Nutrient Density
Many vital nutrients play a part in how the body recovers from various injuries and ailments. It can be overwhelming to strategize meals based on unique benefits, but here are some approachable tactics for athletes to consider when recovering from an injury:
Add color: Try to get at least 2 different colors from produce at every meal. This ensures a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Examples:
- Eggs and toast for breakfast?
- Make it a scramble with spinach, peppers, onions, and/or mushrooms + a side of fruit.
- Tacos for lunch?
- Top the tacos with avocado, shredded carrots & lettuce and add a fresh tomato-based salsa.
- Protein, rice, and a vegetable for dinner?
- Add cherry tomatoes to asparagus.
- Add bell peppers & squash to broccoli.
Upgrade your fats: Healthy fats are necessary for supporting cell membrane integrity, nutrient absorption, and helping manage inflammation. Make sure each meal and snack has a quality source of fat (avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fatty fish, coconut).
Injury Recovery Day Example
Below is an example structure integrating these 4 nutrition strategies across a full day to support recovery for a 170 lb athlete.
| 1. Eat Enough | 2. Hydration | 3. Protein needs | 4. Nutrient Density |
|---|---|---|---|
7–8 AM Breakfast | 12–24 oz water | 40 g: 4 eggs scrambled with milk, 2 chicken sausage | Sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onion, olive oil, avocado, blueberries |
9:30–10:30 AM Pre-Rehab Snack | 12–24 oz water | 15 g: collagen protein | Apple slices & celery sticks with peanut butter |
11:30–12:30 PM Lunch | 12–24 oz water | 40 g: 6 oz salmon | Brown rice/quinoa, mixed greens with nuts/seeds/avocado & strawberries |
1:30–4:30 PM Snack | 24–48 oz water | 15 g: 2 slices turkey, hummus | Raw carrots & broccoli, whole wheat pita, grapes |
5:30–6:30 PM Dinner | 12–24 oz water | 40 g: 6 oz sirloin steak | Roasted asparagus, potatoes, beets, parsnip, onions, garlic |
7:30–9:00 PM PM Snack | 12–24 oz water | 20 g: whey protein or Greek yogurt | Oats, raspberries, blackberries, flax or chia seeds |
Beyond the Plate: Supplements and Next Steps
Strive to master these 4 nutrition strategies before leaning on supplements. The best supplement regimen isn't a standalone nutrition solution for recovery but should complement these dietary strategies.
Once dietary strategies are locked in, consider these 3rd party tested for sport FNC supplement protocols tailored to:
Always work with a sports dietitian before starting any supplement to ensure the product and dose are appropriate for your unique needs and circumstances.
For a fully individualized injury recovery plan—specific to injury type, recovery phase, goals, and preferences—fill out the contact form or email paige@freestylenutrition.co today to schedule a consultation and ensure your comeback is fueled for success.