Sports broadcaster and journalist Rikki Swannell talks to sports nutritionist Tracy Kirkcaldy about the importance of eating well when recovering from an injury.
🕒 4 min read
Whether you're a weekend warrior or a high-performance athlete competing at the top level, a life in sport and exercise comes with one inescapable reality. From aches, pains and niggles to serious damage, the spectre of injury looms over anyone who moves their body.
We've all been there, and the statistics back it up. The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) in New Zealand reports that 452,438 claims were made in 2023 for injuries that occurred while playing sport or taking some form of exercise.
Each year since 2015, ACC has received between 400,000 and 500,000 claims across a variety of sports and individual exercise activities, from rugby union, netball and hockey to fitness and gym training, jogging and tramping. Overall, injuries occurring during sport and recreation accounted for 23% of ACC claims in 2023.
Rehab and return to play protocols are different for everyone, and it's important to remember that no one injury or recovery process is the same. Professional diagnosis and rehab planning need to be done in consultation with medical professionals.
High-performance athletes will have access to a range of experts, but recreational or amateur sports people may rely on the advice of a physio or doctor. Sport New Zealand advocates a progressive return to full fitness with emphasis on rest, recovery and patience as a gradual approach is taken, while coaches should be aware of 'athlete bravado' and resistance to enforced rest.
Injuries occurring during sport and recreation accounted for 23% of ACC claims in 2023.
There's no 'one-size-fits-all' approach to injury rehab. Although the level of support available may depend on whether sport is a career or hobby, nutrition and nutrition support are vital to injury prevention and management regardless of whether you're playing a test match or running your first 5k.
Nutrition is key
Leading sports nutritionist Tracy Kirkcaldy, director of Body Science Nutritionist Specialists and member of the Healthspan Elite Expert Panel, says athletes or individuals who train frequently have extra energy demands in the form of calories from all foods. She says correct nutrition is a starting point for helping to stave off injury in the first place.
"If these energy needs aren't met, athletes are more likely to have a decreased adaptation to their training, poorer recovery, and are more likely to suffer from illness and injury," she says. "As energy output increases, calorie intake needs to increase to ensure the body's essential functions, such as the immune system, are maintained."
While recovering from injury and limiting training, it may be tempting to reach for the treats, but Kirkcaldy advises moderation.
"Nutrient-hollow foods generally have lots of calories, but very few nutrients. Chippies, deep-fried food or fizzy drinks are generally highly processed, so while they might fill you up, they don't provide the building blocks to support performance, recovery and healthy, strong athletes."
Supplement it
Nutrition in the form of supplements, gels and protein powders can be an effective way of maintaining support for some and help ensure that the chocolate biscuits stay in the jar. Healthspan Elite's range of protein bars and powders comes in a variety of flavours to help satisfy cravings.
As athletes make their way back to training or from appointment to appointment, the All Blacks HiLo range of plant-based protein bars - available in chocolate and salted caramel, white chocolate raspberry and black forest gateau - provides a convenient way to get your protein on the go, and is low in sugar while still maintaining the all-important good taste.
All Blacks Plant-Based HiLo Protein Bar
Delicious protein bars packed with 20g protein
- Chocolate and Salted Caramel, Black Forest Gateau and White Chocolate Raspberry flavours
- 6.7g fibre per bar, only 3.5g sugar
- As little as 8.1g polyols per bar – less than half that of Grenade protein bars
For additional support, Healthspan Elite also offers Elite Sports Essentials, which contains a multivitamin, omega 3 and probiotic to help support energy, recovery and digestive health, providing a foundation for good nutrition.
With time on your hands during rehab and recovery, not only are the sweet or savoury treats more tempting, it may be easier to slip into more lax habits around alcohol. Research globally suggests injuries and alcohol don't mix – it can get in the way of the healing process by depleting the body of nutrients and causing inflammation.
Kirkcaldy advocates for maintaining a nutrient-dense diet to support a return to training and competition, and a 'food first' approach.
"Nutrient-dense foods provide not only calories but a variety of vitamins and minerals to help support training, health and recovery. Most unprocessed or limitedly processed foods fit into this category, like fruit vegetables, chicken, meat, fish, eggs and milk."
Timing it right
Although how you fuel yourself is vital, when you fuel up can sometimes be a forgotten factor in the overall process of maintaining and supporting a healthy body and mind.
"Spacing meals throughout the day is important," Kirkcaldy says. "With three main meals, active people and athletes should also have two to three snacks, especially after training sessions. Ideally, a cross-section of nutrients is best, however, make sure to include something with carbohydrates for energy before training and something with protein after training for recovery."
Sport Essentials
Three essential supplements to support good nutrition and optimum performance
- Multivitamin, omega 3 and probiotic
- Convenient daily tear strips
- Supports energy levels, recovery and digestive health