Nutrition for Soft Tissue Recovery

The body is a nutrient driven machine, continuously breaking down and rebuilding tissue on a daily basis. This happens in both a state of injury and non-injury. During a state of injury, healing tissue requires an increased number of macro and micronutrients. This enables the body to maintain a positive state of repair, which is needed to create a positive internal environment needed for recovery. A positive environment for recovery requires: vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, C, D, E and K, as well as several minerals. It is not widely known that minerals, or micronutrients, are an important component of tissue healing. They include, but are not limited to: Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese and Copper (in small doses).

Particular vitamins and minerals will chemically assist in enhancing the healing of an injury, while their deficiency will hinder it. Vitamin A, when deficient, will negatively impact the state of healing by impairing the physiological process to repair damaged tissue. In general, the B vitamins will stimulate neuroligic tissue responses required for reeducating muscles and movement patterns during rehabilitation. Many B vitamins are also involved in metabolizing other vitamins and minerals needed to assist in the repair phases. Additionally, most B vitamins are used for energy production and metabolism of macronutrients. (Protein, Carbs and Fats).

Vitamin C is a major contributor to tissue healing, as it is involved in the formation of collagen, elastin, and neurotransmitters. As previously mentioned regarding vitamin A, vitamin C deficiency will also slow the tissue maturation, delaying healing. In instances where soft tissue healing isn’t the only concern to rapid recovery, vitamin D works to increase absorption of nutrients and co-factors needed for general bone health. Vitamin E is an antioxidant which protects neurologically stable tissues, delaying fatigue and muscle weakness. Lastly, vitamin K controls bleeding and initiates proteins required for bone and muscle health.

While micronutrients are important, tissue healing requires a great amount of macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates and fats, particularly proteins, to aide in the rebuilding of damaged tissues. These macronutrients require micronutrients and their co-products to chemically enable tissue to break down and rebuild rapidly. In most aspects of recovery, it is important to not only include these nutrients in supplementation form, but also consume them via natural food products such as meats, fruits and vegetables to promote recovery.