Sports Injuries

Definition

Every athlete or sports person at some time will encounter an injury of some kind. It is important to see a GP to get a diagnosis and to assess the severity of the injury. Common injuries are bruises, sprains and strains, which are classed as minor trauma of the connective tissues. More severe injuries such as joint dislocation, cartilage tears, torn ligaments and broken bones require hospitalisation and urgent medical treatment or surgery. 

Bruises from sport occur as a result of impact with another person or object and are an indication of damaged tissues. Some people tend bruise more easily than others. Bruises initially appear as blue, black or purple skin and change colour to brown or yellow as the body repairs the area affected. Bruising is sore, painful and tender to touch.

Sprains are injuries that usually affect the ligaments, tendons and joints where as strains are normally associated with injuries to muscles or areas where muscles join to tendons (‘pulled muscles’). Sprains and strains are injuries that cause inflammation, spasm, pain and soreness and are especially uncomfortable when they occur at the same time. When this happens, the area affected can be completely immobile and take several weeks or months to recover.

Clearly, some sports which involve full contact with other people such as in martial arts, rugby and football, are more likely to produce injuries compared to jogging, tennis or swimming. Obviously, prevention is better than treatment and practices such as proper warms-up and stretching can make a huge difference to the occurrence of minor injuries such as sprains and strains. Also using special muscle rubs that contain warming ingredients such as Cayenne can help if used prior to exercise. In addition there is evidence that taking an Antioxidant formula supplying nutrients such as Bioflavanoids, vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Zinc and Beta Carotene, can prevent exercise related muscle injuries. 1-2 capsules per day. Individual nutrients can also be take separately for added preventative effects. In addition, Bromelain has been shown to help prevent bruising according to several studies.

Diet

Following the guidelines in the basic sports nutrition section is a good foundation for any athlete. To specifically help a sports injury:

  • Consume sufficient amounts of protein for your specific sport or exercise goal. Protein is needed by the body as a building material and is necessary for structural repair to the affected injury. More severe injuries that require hospitalisation will need extra protein to be consumed for repair.
  • Eat little and often (every 2-3 hours) - this will ensure a constant supply of nutrients for injury repair.
  • Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables as they contain high levels of Antioxidant vitamins and minerals, which help supply the body with nutrients for repair and recovery. 4-5 serving per day with as much variety in colour as possible.
  • Eat plenty of foods that contain known anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, which will help reduce pain and swelling:
  • Pineapple (for Bromelain)
  • Dark berries - blackberries, blueberries (for Bioflavanoids)
  • Papaya for Papain
  • Ginger
  • onions and Apples (for Quercetin)
  • Curries (for chilli, Cayenne and Turmeric)
  • Eat foods rich in healthy essential fats such as oily Fish, nuts and seeds as they contain essential fatty acids which help with the healing process.
  • Always drink plenty of water! You need at least 2 litres per day from food and drink. As with every system in the body, you will not heal efficiently, if you are dehydrated.
  • Keep sugar, saturated fat and alcohol consumption to a bare minimum as they all significantly suppress the immune system and the body’s healing ability.

    Supplements

    Recovery from injury can be boosted by the following supplements:

    Most useful are:

  • Chondromalacia patellae

  • Disclocation of the elbow

  • Dislocation of the shoulder

  • Golfer’s elbow

  • March fractures

  • Medial/lateral collaterial ligament strain

  • Menisceal tears

  • Osteochondritis

  • Recurrent dislocation of the knee

  • Ruptured anterior cruciate ligament

  • Mechanical back pain

  • Ruptured Achilles tendon

  • Sciatica

  • Slipped disc

  • Sprain or strain - ankle

  • Tennis elbow

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    The information provided by WIS is for guidance only. Whilst it is based upon the expert advice of leading professionals, and extensive research, it is not a substitute for diagnosis by a qualified professional. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist or qualified practitioner before making any changes or additions to prescribed medication.