Nutritional Considerations for Injury Prevention and Recovery in Combat Sports

Abstract

Sports participation is not without risk, and most athletes incur at least one injury throughout their careers. Combat sports are popular all around the world, and about one-third of their injuries result in more than 7 days of absence from competition or training. The most frequently injured body regions are the head and neck, followed by the upper and lower limbs, while the most common tissue types injured are superficial tissues and skin, followed by ligaments and joint capsules. Nutrition has significant implications for injury prevention and enhancement of the recovery process due to its effect on the overall physical and psychological well-being of the athlete and improving tissue healing. In particular, amino acid and protein intake, antioxidants, creatine, and omega-3 are given special attention due to their therapeutic roles in preventing muscle loss and anabolic resistance as well as promoting injury healing. The purpose of this review is to present the roles of various nutritional strategies in reducing the risk of injury and improving the treatment and rehabilitation process in combat sports. In this respect, nutritional considerations for muscle, joint, and bone injuries as well as sports-related concussions are presented. The injury risk associated with rapid weight loss is also discussed. Finally, preoperative nutrition and nutritional considerations for returning to a sport after rehabilitation are addressed.

Nutritional intake of sport undergraduates in Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

“…Nutrition plays an important role in maintaining growth, good health, and providing energy. Sports nutrition is essential to maintain and increase athletic performance and reduce the risk of injury and increase the recovery rate [ 29 , 30 ]. Our present study is an initiative to report the nutritional status of the undergraduates studying sport science and physical education degree programs and who are being trained to take the leadership in the field of sports.…”

ACL microtrauma: healing through nutrition, modified sports training, and increased recovery time

“…Although ligament ECM consists primarily of type I collagen, type III collagen is advantageous during early healing because it more rapidly creates the cross-links that stabilize the damaged ACL loading curve “toe region”. Collagen synthesis and linkages are further enhanced with daily dietary requirements of zinc, sulfur containing amino acids, and beta-carotene [ 28 , 99 ] (Table 1 ).…”

“…During microtrauma healing and remodeling, collagen is primarily added to the ACL periphery as it adapts to loading [ 8 ] with greater deposition occurring after relatively short duration acute exercise bouts [ 26 , 39 , 42 ]. Combining ACL loading with appropriate nutritional support is essential [ 8 , 28 , 88 , 99 ]. In a randomized, double-blind crossover clinical trial of 8 healthy men (27 ± 6 years of age), ingestion of 15 g of gelatin 1 hour before 6 minutes of jump roping doubled the collagen synthesis rate of engineered human ligaments within 1 hour post-exercise, increasing collagen density and improving tissue mechanics compared to placebo, or low-gelatin groups [ 88 ].…”

“…An intermittent exercise program consisting of 10 min of acute training followed by 6 hours of rest over 5 days has been found to produce more collagen in engineered human ligaments than more continuous training [ 76 ]. Having a daily protein intake of 2.3 g/kg bodyweight/day can also facilitate tissue repair [ 28 , 99 ]. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation improves ligament enthesis and bone health and strength [ 99 ].…”

“…Having a daily protein intake of 2.3 g/kg bodyweight/day can also facilitate tissue repair [ 28 , 99 ]. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation improves ligament enthesis and bone health and strength [ 99 ]. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can provide natural anti-inflammatory effects and vitamin C intake of 1 mg/kg bodyweight/day is essential for collagen cross-link development [ 28 ].…”