Getting injured is no fun at all but it is part of the sport.
Every athlete who has come by any sports injury would ask and research on how to speed up the rate of their recovery.
Aside from rest and rehabilitation programs, you can eat nutritious snacks to ease up the pain and relieve you of symptoms.
Although every individual has different nutrition programs because of different physiology, the list of food below can significantly influence recovery from injury.
Fruits and vegetables such as kiwi, apple, winter squash and dark leafy greens are rich in flavonoids and carotene.
These are antioxidants that provide free radicals the missing electrons they need.
Free radicals are substances that make you feel swell and sore whenever you're injured.
By eating enough antioxidants you can prevent unnecessary swelling and pain.
For better mobility and to ease up joint injuries, you should take up glucosamine.
Glucosamine is an amino sugar normally found in healthy joints.
Taking glucosamine supplements help soothe joint pains and promote cartilage growth.
It is also reported that glucosamine can prevent and alleviate symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative join condition brought about by overuse, trauma or old age.
It is very common for runner to get osteoarthritis after running long-term and taking glucosamine aids in preventing the disorder.
Eating plenty of protein also speeds up the recovery process.
Because the body requires amino acids to replace worn-out proteins in your body when you get injured, eating plenty of protein provides your body enough supply for the repairing process.
Also when injured, do not avoid too much carbohydrates.
Your brain and other organs needed the carbohydrate to function.
With not much carbohydrate, it will try to raid your stored proteins thus slowing down the repairing process.
If you are losing weight when you are injured, maybe you are not eating enough carbohydrates to fuel your body.
At this critical time, it is wise to control your weight.
The best source of protein would be eggs (especially the egg whites), soy products, and low-fat dairy products.
If you normally chomp on 60 to 100 grams of protein daily, if you're injured it is recommended to eat as much as 80 to 100 grams.
Vitamin C ensures that you have enough collagen for repairing damaged tissues.
When you get a cut, the glue-like substance that forms scar tissue is the collagen.
Lack of Vitamin C means collagen deficiency, and it will take your body longer to recuperate.
The citrus fruits are the best source of Vitamin C.
Broccoli, cabbages and potatoes are also good sources of Vitamin C.
And there is zinc required for manufacturing healthy bone cells and cartilage cells.
When you are fractured or you tore your ligaments, these cells work double time to repair your bones.
A body that is zinc-deficient does not have enough healthy bone cells and cartilage cells that can speed up the recovery.
To get enough zinc, eat red meat.
Besides red meat, clams and oysters are good sources of zinc.
You can also take multivitamins that has 100 percent of the daily requirement.