I know how frustrating it is to deal with injuries. Whether it’s a sprain, a broken bone, post-surgery recovery or muscle damage, you just want to heal and get back to doing the things you love. The good news? Recovery doesn’t only happen in the clinic. It starts on your plate.
Your Food Is Your Recovery Fuel
What you eat plays a major role in how fast, and how well, your body recovers. When you pair the right nutrition with your physio plan and quality rest, you give your body exactly what it needs to rebuild. These are my top three evidence-based strategies to support healing.
1. Prioritise Protein
Protein is your body’s building material, essential for wound healing, muscle repair and immune support. When you’re injured, your protein needs go up, generally to around 1.5 to 2.0 g/kg per day, especially if you’re less active or immobilised. Getting enough protein helps prevent muscle loss and supports new tissue growth.
For most people, aiming for a palm-sized portion of protein at every meal, roughly 20 to 30g, is enough to cover requirements. The best sources include poultry, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, protein shakes, tofu and legumes.
2. Eat Enough Energy
I often see clients unintentionally eating less during recovery, usually because they’re less active and don’t feel as hungry.
But healing is hard work, and your body actually needs more fuel to manage inflammation, build new tissue and support strength for rehabilitation. It’s important to avoid restricting calories, as under-eating can delay healing, increase muscle loss and leave you feeling fatigued.
This isn’t the time to diet or restrict. To give your body the fuel it needs to recover, avoid skipping meals, and add balanced snacks throughout the day if you’re hungry.
3. Include Anti-Inflammatory Whole Foods
A little inflammation is a natural and necessary part of the immune response to injury, helping to begin the healing process. But excessive or prolonged inflammation can work against you, slowing recovery and increasing pain.
Diets high in processed foods, added sugar and alcohol can make this worse, placing unnecessary stress on the system. Mediterranean-style eating patterns, on the other hand, are rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fibre and magnesium, and have been shown to support healing and reduce oxidative stress. A rich array of salmon, extra virgin olive oil, avocado, berries, greens and nuts can help keep inflammation in check.
These foods won’t “fix” the injury on their own, but they create a better environment for healing, with bonus benefits for heart, brain and metabolic health too.
Should You Take Supplements?
Supplements aren’t magic, but they can give you a boost if you already have a solid foundation of diet, rest and physical rehab in place.
Collagen
Collagen supplements alone don’t consistently show a benefit, but research shows that taking around 15g of collagen with 50mg of vitamin C roughly 30 to 60 minutes before exercise may support tendon and ligament repair, by increasing collagen synthesis around the time of loading.
Zinc and Magnesium
Zinc supports wound healing and immunity. Magnesium helps with sleep, muscle function and relaxation. These can be helpful if you’re not getting enough from your diet, and a dietitian can help assess your intake and provide personalised guidance.
Arginine
May support wound healing, particularly in high-stress cases such as surgery, though it’s less relevant for minor injuries. Best integrated into a clinical nutrition strategy under professional guidance.
Food and Physio Together, for a Faster, Stronger Recovery
Injury recovery is a full-body effort, and what you eat can be the difference between a delayed comeback and a strong, confident return.
Our Sports Physiotherapy team can support the physical side of your recovery, and can refer you for individualised nutrition guidance where appropriate.
Book an appointment at BeFit Training Physiotherapy — no referral needed.
Edgecliff: (02) 9327 7749 | Coogee: (02) 7205 2805
References
Shaw G, Lee-Barthel A, Ross ML, Wang B, Baar K. Vitamin C-Enriched Gelatin Supplementation Before Intermittent Activity Augments Collagen Synthesis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(1):136-143.
Australian Physiotherapy Association. Clinical guidelines. physiotherapy.asn.au.
Veronika Pudikova, APD
Nutritionist, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Gut Health Coach
