ForEliteAtheletes to FunRunners
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You like to push yourself. Exceed your own
expectations. Set a goal and smash it. But often with
that comes injury. And with the next race coming up
you might be desperate to get back in training.
So the question is: after you get injured, how can
you help your body heal as fast as possible?
To many people it makes sense that our diet would
play an important role in recovering from injury, but
you might not be quite sure exactly what and how
to use nutrition to help.
If you’re injured then chances are you’ll be
experiencing some level of tissue damage and
inflammation such as pain and tenderness,
redness, swelling, heat, and loss of function of the
injured tissue. But before you reach for the next
dose of ibuprofen, remember that inflammation
happens for a reason and is a necessary component
for effective recovery.
Whilst we need controlled inflammation to assist
the healing process taking NSAIDS (non steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and
aspirin) or using cortisone, can suppress the body’s
natural inflammatory response and impair the
production of insulin-like growth factor-1 (also
known as IGF-1, which increases the rate of muscle
regeneration) therefore potentially slowing muscle
repair. Overuse of NSAIDs or cortisone can also
mask pain so you risk possibly injuring yourself
even more by thinking you’re ok to train when
maybe you should be resting.
Optimising your nutrition can decrease
inflammation without hampering your recovery.
There are many ways to do this, but here are three
simple ways to help you hack the healing process:
1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
There is growing evidence that eliminating or
drastically reducing omega-6 fats and increasing
your intake of omega-3 fats can be extremely
beneficial in helping reduce inflammation and
promote healing.
Do this by eating more anti-inflammatory fats such
as olive oil, avocados, oily fish (such as salmon,
trout, mackerel, sardines, herring and fresh tuna),
mixed raw nuts, seeds, flax oil and ground flax.
Reduce your intake of pro-inflammatory foods such
as processed foods high in saturated fats, vegetable
oils such as corn, sunflower, safflower and soybean
oils, and foods containing trans fats (commercially
fried and baked foods such as doughnuts, cookies,
biscuits, cakes and pies are just some of the foods
that may contain these harmful fats).
You can also take omega-3 fatty acids in
supplement form* such as fish oils or (for
vegetarians) an algae-based omega-3.
2. Turmeric
Turmeric contains the active ingredient curcumin,
which has powerful anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties. Research has found that
curcumin reduces signs of inflammation, compared
to both placebo and some medications.
Increase your intake of curcumin by including
turmeric and curry powder in your cooking. Taking
curcumin in supplement form* can help speed
recovery further but be cautious of larger doses
which can be irritating to the stomach.
3. Proteolytic enzymes
Proteolytic enzyme supplements can be extremely
effective in naturally supporting healing of injuries
by reducing the symptoms and signs of inflammation.
Proteolytic means “protein splitting” and whilst
your body naturally produces a range of proteolytic
enzymes taking them therapeutically can speed up
recovery.
Using a supplement that contains a mixture of
enzymes (such as bromelain, papain, trypsin,
chymotrypsin, and pancreatin) is understood to be
most effective. In order to support healing, taking
the supplement on an empty stomach is key. As
with all supplements it’s important to consult your
GP first and also speak to a qualified nutritionist for
recommendations on a good quality product and
appropriate dosing.
HEALTH & NUTRITION
Hack The
Healing Process
You love OCR so I’m guessing you’re
someone who enjoys a challenge.
Prevention is better
than cure
These are just a few
of several nutritional
strategies that you can
implement to speed your
recovery if you get injured.
And whilst incorporating
these recommendations
into your diet should be
beneficial in getting you
back to training as soon as
possible, more importantly
they can also help you
avoid injuries in the first
place.
If you pay attention to what
you eat and prioritise your
nutrition, you can create
a body that’s strong and
supple so you can push
yourself further and never
have to miss a race.
* Always consult with your GP
and a qualified nutritionist before
beginning any supplementation
or dietary programme. Please
be aware that both fish oil and
curcumin supplements can
interfere with some medications
and are not suitable for people
with certain medical conditions.
Jennie Gough
jenniegough.com
