Eating tips to prevent sports injuries

Carry out a regular and systematic physical activity or sport has proven to be a very beneficial practice for maintain health and prevent disease. Likewise, the discipline of maintaining a training rhythm also exposes us to suffer certain risks of physical injury. An injury can lead to a training break, as well as possible future complications, a situation that greatly worries any active athlete. Therefore, it is essential to know that eating habits and lifestyles They are essential to ensure prevention of possible injuries or even help to restore the evolution of an injury so that it does not become chronic.

How Diet Can Help Prevent Injury

The main injuries that occur with exercise and sport are fractures, sprains, tears and inflammations, either of the bones, muscles or tendones. Therefore, from the diet we must take the necessary measures to try to keep the bones, muscles and tendons in the best possible conditions. These are detailed below four food measures specific aimed at meeting the needs that sports practice requires and their training rhythms to reduce and prevent risk of injury, as well as ensuring an adequate recovery, which will translate into an improvement in sports performance.

Basic pillar hydration

The paper of hydration is essential to avoid thermoregulation, dehydration and muscle tendon problems. A well-hydrated muscle is more flexible and resistant, while a poorly hydrated muscle has a higher risk of injury, contractures and cramps. The same goes for tendons.

First of all, it is necessary to maintain good hydration throughout the day and not only during workouts. We will do it by ingesting liquid (mineral water) on a regular basis: it is advisable to take small sips of water frequently, avoiding the sensation of thirst, since this will be a symptom of dehydration. Regarding the closeness to training or sporting event, keep in mind:

• Encourage hydration before, during and after sports practice by: half a liter of drink 15 minutes before of physical activity, half a liter more (depending on the duration of the session) during exercise in small sips every 20 minutes, and other half a liter later of the activity.
• In hot environments (> 25ºC) it is necessary to take a drink with mineral salts (ensure that it has between 0.5-0.7g / L of sodium), this will help to replace the losses, not only of water, but also of mineral salts (especially sodium).
• In activities lasting longer than one hour, it is recommended that the isotonic drink contains sugars (mixture of glucose, fructose, maltrodextrins, etc.), in a concentration of 6-8%.
• Must avoid drinking during moments of high respiratory frequency (hyperventilation), as we will be depriving our body of oxygen when it needs it most. Taking advantage of the decreases or sections of decreased respiratory rate will favor the assimilation of fluid.
• Replenish 150% of weight lost, weighing yourself before and after exercise.

Make a good "Recovery"

The reserves of glycogen they are exhausted after an hour and a half or two hours of intense exercise (according to personal adaptation) and these must be replaced just at the end of the session. It has been shown that when carbohydrates and proteins of high biological value are ingested after finishing the exercise, the muscles are better loaded with glycogen whereas if it takes a couple of hours to eat they are only 50% full.

At the end of the exercise, athletes should get used to ingesting solid or liquid food that provides a high concentration of carbohydrates (minimum 1g / kg of weight) with a high glycemic index to awaken the insulin response and a lower contribution of proteins (0.25 g / kg) to also initiate tissue repair.

Currently, there are products formulated and intended for this purpose, but it should be remembered that the combination of conventional foods can also supply these energy needs in excess.

Collagen and gelatin for joints, tendons and muscle

The collagen it is the most abundant protein in mammals and humans. It is the most important component of the skin, bones, and connective tissues. It represents almost a third of our total protein mass. Is composed of non-essential amino acids (glycine, proline and lysine) this means that our body can produce its own collagen from other amino acids, but it has been seen that ensuring and providing collagen through the diet is much more efficient to maintain our structures well and as we As we age, effectiveness is lost in obtaining it. Being so similar in most of our structures, it has numerous Benefits in the field of sports and health in general:

• Reduces joint pain in athletes.
• Strengthens the tendons.
• It can improve arthritis symptoms.
• Rejuvenates the skin.
• It helps to rest since glycine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic system.

There are two forms to increase collagen intake: through the food and supplementation. The ideal is always to prioritize real food, but in specific cases and after professional assessment, you can also consider them. To eat more collagen and incorporate it regularly in our diet we can:

• Prepare fish and animal bone broths.
• Make jelly desserts. It must be pure gelatin, without flavor or sugar.
• Include the skin of animals (chicken, fish ...) without being burned or fried, avoiding intensive production.

Vitamin D and sport

The vitamin D is a fat-soluble prohormone absorbed by the body through daily diet, supplementation, and skin exposure to the sun. It has a great impact on maintaining the effectiveness of the musculoskeletal system, the mineralization, remodeling of the bones and the increase of the mass, strength and resistance of the muscles. This is because it plays a role in the balance of the calcium and phosphorus, maintaining and regulating its levels in the body; hence it is highly recommended for athletes who regularly load weight and need to strengthen their bone and muscle structure. On the other hand, it also has a preventive function of neurodegenerative, autoimmune and infectious diseasess. Due to these benefits, it is very important that athletes have an adequate intake, and carry out adequate exposure to the sun to prevent its deficit, which is very common especially in winter, with training after sunset or in athletes who train in closed spaces. Supplementation is the best solution to correct and solve the deficit. It is considered a safe dose for adults up to 4000 IU / day, but should be adjusted according to individual needs. However, as a preventive measure, it will be important to provide foods rich in vitamin D and ensure daily sun exposure (15 minutes on face and arms are enough).

Food sources of vitamin D are:

• Cod oil
• Blue fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, eel, shellfish (especially oysters)
• Whole milk and cheeses
• Yolk
• Mushrooms like shiitake
• Beef liver

• A correct hydration It is essential to avoid thermoregulation problems, dehydration and musculoskeletal injuries.
• The reserves of glycogen they are exhausted after an hour and a half or two hours of intense exercise (according to personal adaptation) and these must be replaced just at the end of the session.
• It is convenient to ensure an optimal supply of collagen, the most important component of the skin, bones and connective tissues. The ideal is to do it through the diet, but it can also be supplemented, under the

Alessandra huerta Nutritionist specialized in Sports Nutrition