The following article was written by Gary Roberts, NHL veteran forward who now owns and operates Gary Roberts Training
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Off-Season Recovery Strategies: Nutrition
Proper daily nutritional efforts will make a huge difference when it comes to recovery from workouts during the offseason. The proper combination of macronutrients (carbs, fats and proteins) along with an adequate amount of micronutrients will supply the body with the nutrients needed to increase recovery time.
Recovery goes beyond the hour after, it is all of the time in between training bouts or performance. This includes optimizing nutrition, sleep and other lifestyle factors.
Nutrition Recommendations:
- Increase water consumption. Staying hydrated is very important for optimizing recovery time and injury prevention. A dehydrated joint or tissue will be more susceptible to injury and slower to recover after an injury has occurred.
- Increase electrolyte consumption. Often times muscle cramping and fatigue can occur due to lack of electrolytes in the system. Make sure to increase electrolyte consumption through high quality, low sugar electrolyte drinks.
- Increase healthy fat consumption (avocadoes, extra virgin olive oil, coconut, this will assist in decreasing inflammation and boosting brain health. Make sure to include increased sources of omega 3 fatty acids are salmon, sardines, hemp seeds, flax seeds, walnuts etc.
- Increase quality protein intake in order to help muscles repair after strenuous workouts. Healthy sources of protein are: grass fed beef, chicken, salmon, white fish, turkey, beans, lentils.
- Increase consumption of probiotics, this will help to increase absorption of nutrients through the gut. Probiotics in foods can be found in fermented foods such as kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, or kimchi etc. A healthy gut means a healthy body, probiotics will help to boost good bacteria in the gut so you can absorb and assimilate the nutrients you are taking in.
- Vitamin C plays a large role in recovery because it helps collagen formation, which keeps ligaments and tendons strong and flexible. Foods rich in vitamin C include citrus fruit, cherries, kiwis, red peppers, tomatoes, dark leafy greens, broccoli and strawberries. Vitamin C and Iron work synergistically so it is important to get adequate amounts of both. Iron helps oxygen rich blood cells to your muscles. Foods rich in iron include: red meat, beans, lentils, chickpeas, spinach and pumpkin seeds.
- Vitamin D is incredibly important due to its role in maintaining bone health. The best way to get vitamin D is to get sunshine for at least 20 minutes per day. The sunshine vitamin can be found in egg yolks and fatty fish.
- Increase anti-inflammatory foods. This will help to recover in between workouts. Include dark leafy greens, turmeric, ginger, chia seeds, salmon, hemp seeds, walnuts etc.
- Increase zinc consumption. Zinc is a crucial mineral for boosting the immune system and assisting in protein regeneration. Foods high in zinc include pumpkin seeds, oysters, flax seeds etc.
- Increase plant-based calcium intake. Calcium plays a critical role in regeneration of tissue and boosting healing properties. Plant based sources of calcium include kale, collard greens, swiss chard, artichokes, bean sprouts, chickpeas, sesame seeds/tahini, chia seeds, almonds, brown rice, quinoa and blackstrap molasses.
Avoid the following to assist in recovery:
These foods can increase inflammation and slow recovery time.
- Sugar (candy, baked goods, juice, pop etc.)
- Hydrogenated oils and trans fats (vegetable oils)
- Processed foods (deli meats, packaged foods etc.)
- Processed carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, white rice etc.)
- Fast foods
- Excess dairy (choose nut or seed milks)
Train hard and recover harder in order to get the most out of your off-season training. This means paying attention to your daily nutrition, prioritizing sleep and paying attention to other lifestyle factors (stress management, etc.)
