For active individuals, injury often is the result of a mismatch between activity and recovery. This can even apply to “acute” injuries. In these cases there is often an underlying imbalance between wear and repair with the seemingly acute injury just being the tip of the iceberg. One way we can shift the balance towards recovery both before and after an injury is through nutrition. For that reason, I’ve put together an evidence-based guide for nutrition to support injuries to tendons, bones, and muscles.

A quick word on supplement quality

There are many supplement companies, not all are high quality. There are many examples of contamination with lead, illegal substances, or even not having the claimed ingredient at all. Look for companies that complete third party testing and make the results freely available. Examples include the NZ brand No Whey and companies with NSF certification such as Thorne or Momentous.

Tendons – support collagen production

Tendons are primarily composed of collagen. Our bodies can make its own collagen from amino acids using vitamin C but there is some evidence that combining injured tendons with supplemental collagen whilst resistance training can improve recovery speed.

Practical suggestions:

Complete sources of protein: Ensure overall protein intake is sufficient so healing isn’t limited by basic building blocks. In the general sense high-protein diets support tissue repair.

Collagen or gelatin: 10 – 15g daily. Potentially taking it 30-40 minutes before rehab exercises could improve the effectiveness but this hasn’t been studied. There is some doubt that it can help prevent injuries, however it can improve recovery. Supplementation is the easiest way to reach this number, however bone broth is a less processed source.
Vitamin C: Taking Vitamin C with collagen is prudent as it is an essential co-factor for synthesis — examples include citrus fruits, berries, kiwi, and raw capsicum

Fractures – Load up on micronutrients for bone health

Bone repair is an energy- and nutrient-intensive process, not to mention the added calorie burn if you are using crutches. Certain micronutrients are foundational:

What Helps:

Calcium: Needed for bone mineral formation — aim for food sources like dairy, almonds, or fortified plant milks. Supplementation can be dangerous – high calcium levels are no joke, so stick to dietary sources where possible.
Vitamin D: Enhances calcium absorption; adequate sunlight and vitamin D status are important. This tends to be less of an issue in Aotearoa New Zealand in summer, however in winter (especially in the South Island), supplementation is often helpful.
Vitamin C and collagen: Collagen is also part of bone and can help in the same ways we discussed above.
Avoid excess vitamin A: High doses may interfere with bone formation. For this reason a multivitamin with high amounts of vit A may not be worth your time.

Stress Fractures – fuel yourself properly

Bone stress injuries are a signal. Often your body is telling you that you are under-fueling relative to training load, usually combined with suboptimal nutrients. Research shows low energy availability is a big risk factor.

What to do:

Meet your calories: When we eat enough, our body can put more resources towards adapting and repairing damaged tissues. If not, this can lead to a slow accumulation of damage and eventually a break in the bone. This is a particular issue in sports that prioritise low body mass.
Carbohydrate support: Getting enough carbs will refuel your training and prevent muscle protein from being used as fuel.
Calcium + vitamin D: People who train frequently and sweat a lot can become calcium deficient despite their dietary calcium meeting the RDA. If this sounds like you then consider finding a provider that offers sweat testing to see how much calcium you are losing.

Muscle Injuries – Protein, Creatine & Omega-3s

When muscle is injured or immobilised, the body shifts into catabolic (breakdown) mode unless you counter it nutritionally.

Recovery Essentials

Protein: High intake (e.g., 1.6–2.3 g/kg/day) supports muscle protein synthesis.
Creatine monohydrate: Everyone is talking about creatine currently and for good reason. It can help preserve muscle mass during immobilisation and support rehabilitation although we need more studies before we can be sure of this. 3-5g/day is enough for muscle saturation, don’t worry about a “loading phase”.
Omega-3 fatty acids: New research has emerged showing the muscle saving benefits of high omega 3. Fatty fish such as salmon will provide both protein and omega 3s, ticking 2 boxes at once. Aim for 1-2g/ day combined EPA and DHA, and up to 5g/ day has been shown to have benefit.

Take home message

There is no one magic bullet for injury healing, however targeted nutrition plus rehab and activity modification can get you back on track and doing what you love.

Got any questions about injuries or rehab? To book an appointment with us visit our clinic page at https://queenstownphysiotherapy.com/ or phone 03 441 0580.

Our articles are not designed to replace medical advice. If you have an injury we recommend seeing a qualified health professional.