No one likes being hurt, but if you’re the athletic type, you have a higher likelihood of this occurring. After a few weeks or months off the field, many athletes return to the sport they love only to ask, “Where did my muscles go?”
With these tips from Horizon Rehab, you can avoid some of the muscle loss that occurs when you are recovering:
- Keep training.
If there’s one thing the therapists at Horizon Rehab know, it’s that you don’t stop training. Yes, it’s true that you will need to rest after an injury, but you shouldn’t cut exercise out entirely. If anything, this could lead to future injuries. Our staff of physical therapists can show you the types of activities you need to do to maintain your strength.
- Don’t dramatically cut back on your calories.
One mistake we see athletes make is that they eat the amount of calories they would need if they were sedentary. The problem with that is your body’s metabolism increases during recovery, because it needs more energy to repair the damage. So while you shouldn’t eat as much as you do when you’re active, you also shouldn’t cut it down to the intake levels you have when you’re healthy and inactive.
- Eat the right kinds of food
Protein is important when you’re building muscles, and it’s also important when those muscles are recovering from injury. It can actually speed up your recovery. Calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese and vitamins A, B, C, and D also fall in this category.
- Cut out fats—but not all of them.
Certain fats can actually make your inflammation worse, and should be avoided during recovery. These include trans-fat, saturated fat and omega-6 rich vegetable oil. You probably already avoid these, but many times people reach for comfort food during recovery, and comfort foods often include these things. What you should do is consume the omega-3 fatty acids—they actually won’t increase your inflammation.
You don’t have to go it alone when it comes to recovering after an injury. We are here for you every step of the way. Call us today to set up an appointment and continue your journey to recovery.