9 Foods That Can Boost Your Recovery Time

Sports injuries are an occupational hazard for any athlete. They happen to everyone at some point; for one reason or another, you can pick up injuries while playing that can leave you benched until you recover. For many, the typical reaction is to cut back on calories until you’re better. By then, the logic goes, you’ll be well and able to return to your daily routine. However, the healing process demands calories, too. When you’re injured, your body needs plenty of food to rebuild and get you back in shape.

Think of it like doing home repair. When something gets broken, you’ll need concrete or wood to patch the holes and fix the damage. When it comes to healing, your best bet should include plenty of proteins, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. These are the body’s building blocks, and they’ll be needed to heal wounds, relax injured tendons, and mend fractured bones much faster. To help you recover faster, it’s vital that you eat the right combination of recovery foods combined with proper care (e.g. massage therapy).

Here are a few foods you can focus on to get you back on your feet and playing again in no time.

1. Cottage Cheese

Cheese contains plenty of protein to help your body rebuild after an injury. However, cottage cheese is an especially potent type of cheese that can go a long way toward helping you heal. Cottage cheese is packed with proteins, namely whey and casein. Whey helps replenish your muscles, especially after a workout. Meanwhile, casein allows the muscles to continue recovering as you sleep, making it a great pick for speeding healing. Cottage cheese also has plenty of live cultures that help you break down nutrients in food and help you recover. Finally, it’s also rich in sodium and other electrolytes, great for helping you recover after a sweaty workout.

2. Other Dairy Products

Most dairy products also contain additional vitamins and minerals that can boost healing, particularly for healing teeth and bones. Dairy products contain plenty of calcium to help strengthen your bones and aid in growth. If you’ve suffered a bone injury, a glass of milk can be a great help to recovery.

Additionally, dairy products also are often supplemented with vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium, making it easier for the body to get what it needs to heal itself.

3. Fish

Fish is just good for you. Like other meats, fish gives you plenty of protein, specifically lean protein, which is ideal for muscle growth and retention after an injury. However, fish has numerous additional benefits to help you heal from injury. Fish is packed with omega-3 fatty acids that help counter inflammation. Injuries and workouts can sometimes cause inflammation and swelling in the muscles, which can be painful. Eating plenty of fish, particularly salmon, tuna, and sardines, can keep the swelling down, giving you a more sustainable recovery.

4. Cereals

Along with red meat and fish, cereals like rice and whole grains (and quinoa and buckwheat, which are actually seeds) are an ideal choice of food to help boost healing. Grains are rich in zinc, a mineral key to accelerating the healing process. Zinc boosts the body’s natural healing process, making it less reliant on proteins to heal and letting your body do more with less.

5. Produce

Everyone knows fruits and vegetables are good for you, but that’s true in more ways than one. Foods like carrots, spinach, and kale are rich in vitamin A, which helps the body make more white blood cells to fight off infection. The additional white blood cells can strengthen your body’s defences and help it focus on healing and recovery.

Meanwhile, foods like oranges, strawberries, pepper, and broccoli contain vitamin C, which helps the body produce more collagen. The body needs plenty of collagen when healing to repair connective tissues and cartilage. Many vegetables also contain plenty of other nutrients to speed healing. For example, spinach is also rich in antioxidants to prevent serious disease and help you bounce back after strenuous workouts.

6. Whole-Grain Breads

Bread, especially whole-grain bread, has plenty of carbs to help build much-needed energy, especially when you’re recovering. Carbs, in general, are brain food, which also means they’re a good choice for supplying your muscles with the energy they need to move and recover.

7. Herbal Teas 

Tea is usually a must-have for those looking to maintain their mental balance. That said, tea contains plenty of vitamins to help you stay fit, physically and mentally. Herbal tea contains plenty of antioxidants to recover from a hard workout much faster.

Tea also contains naturally-occurring stimulants. Drinking some before a workout can give you a much-needed energy boost and get the blood pumping as you go.

8. Berries

When you’re coming down from a workout, the right foods are essential for soothing your muscles and starting recovery quickly. Add some berries (particularly blueberries) to your post-workout diet to help minimize the effects when you wake up the next morning. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, which help prevent free radical damage after a tough workout. They’re also loaded with plenty of nutrients and vitamins that speed up healing, lower inflammation, and improve your overall health. Try drinking a blueberry shake before and after your workout for an extra boost to your performance.

9. Water

Water is essential for proper health, and even more so when you’re recovering from injury. Proper hydration is key to making sure every workout turns out smoothly. Make sure you drink enough water to drink before, during, and after to make sure you’re exercising at peak performance. One good rule of thumb is to drink a few glasses of water every 30 minutes or so; if you’re working up a sweat, drink more to compensate for what you’re losing as you exercise.

Keep This In Mind:

One fun thing to note about these foods is that they do more than help your body get better after a traumatic injury. These foods are crucial for refueling your body after a heavy workout and getting it ready for more. With proper nutrition, you can avoid having to hobble around after you’ve put your muscles to good use. With the right diet, you can help your body get better much faster, whether you’re recovering from a heavy workout or a bad injury.

When you need help to recover from injury, visit The Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre of Ontario. We provide a range of services to help address a broad spectrum of different conditions. Our caring staff are ready to provide individualized treatment to help you get back on your feet.

Call us at (905) 579-9938 to book an appointment and take your first steps back to good health and a full recovery.