Our topic today is cruciate ligament injury, which is a nightmare for athletes.
Cruciate ligament injuries are the most serious injuries that can be seen in every branch of sports. Nutrition has a very important place in the treatment processes of athletes after this injury in order to renew the connective tissue and keep the loss of muscle tissue to a minimum.
After the injury, the athlete has an important role in recovering muscle mass, such as glutamine and leucine, to heal the wound, especially in the post-operative period. needs to consume amino acids. This can be achieved with supplement support or by consuming animal protein sources.
While the athlete is undergoing physical therapy, a few additional nutrients can be added to the diet to accelerate connective tissue repair and accelerate healing by providing rapid blood flow to the injured area. Particularly hydrolyzed collagen and beet-pomegranate juice have an important place.
In a study, it was determined that taking collagen before treatment/training accelerates connective tissue construction after training. This difference was clearly observed in the athlete who consumed 15-20 g of gelatin / hydrolyzed collagen enriched with vitamin C 1 hour before the training.
In addition, some nutritional elements in beet and pomegranate accelerate blood flow and provide nutrients needed for repair to the injured area. It can increase oxygen transport.
While the amount of dietary carbohydrate is determined by taking inactivity into consideration during this period, the increased metabolic rate for tissue repair is also taken into account. Sugar is removed from the diet, and pasta-potatoes-oats and vegetables, which we call complex carbohydrates, are increased in the diet. Fruit consumption is increased for adequate vitamin and mineral intake (especially vitamin C, which is effective in collagen production). Consumption of visible carbohydrates is reduced depending on the training period.
The amount and type of protein are very important. Supplements or foods to be given should be rich in leucine. There should be a focus on lean animal protein sources. Since energy intake will decrease due to inactivity, protein intake should be increased to a certain extent in order not to affect muscle protein synthesis. 20-40 grams of casein protein taken before going to bed at night will help preserve muscle mass. Hydrolyzed whey protein for quick effect after physical therapy n can be used.
Creatine, another factor in preserving muscle mass, can be started to be used when the athlete's treatment tempo increases. Measurements can be taken before and after training/treatment, around 5gr, as in the maintenance period.
Dietary fat composition is very important in this period. While omega-3 supplements can be used especially for tissue repair, the athlete can turn to sources such as flaxseed, chia seeds, fish and olive oil.
Bone marrow can be used in soups as well as fruit juices with high vitamin C and antioxidant capacity and can be turned into sweet jellies and consumed by the athlete. .
There are countless other nutrients that claim to improve tendon/ligament function, including turmeric/curcumin, taurine, arginine, bromelain. These can be added to the athlete's diet or special mixtures to provide an effect on the healing of injured tissue.
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