Bowers, PT, DPT, CHT, CFST Brendan Boyle, MD, MPH Brian Boe, MD Brian K. Kaspar, PhD Briana Crowe, PT, DPT, OCS Brigid Pargeon, MS, MT-BC Brittany Mikuluk, M. Haas, FNP Brooke Sims, LPCC, ATR Cagri Toruner, MD Caitlin Bauer, RD, LD Caitlin Tully Caleb Mosley Callista Dammann Cami Winkelspecht, PhD Camille Wilson, PhD Canice Crerand, PhD Cara Inglis, PsyD Carl H.

Baxter, MSN, RN, CPNP Cheryl Gariepy, MD Chet Kaczor, PharmD, MBA Chris Marrero Chris Smith, RN Christina Ching, MD Christina Day Christine Johnson, MA, CCC-SLP Christine Koterba, PhD Christine Mansfield, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC Christine Prusa Christopher Beatty, ATC Christopher Gerity Christopher Goettee, PT, DPT, OCS Christopher Iobst, MD Christopher Ouellette, MD Christy Lumpkins, LISW-S Cindy Iske Claire Kopko PT, DPT, OCS, NASM-PES Cody Hostutler, PhD Connor McDanel, MSW, LSW Corey Rood, MD Courtney Bishop.

PA-C Courtney Brown, MD Courtney Hall, CPNP-PC Courtney Porter, RN, MS Cristina Tomatis Souverbielle, MD Crystal Milner Curt Daniels, MD Cynthia Holland-Hall, MD, MPH Cynthia Zimm, MD Dana Lenobel, FNP Dana Noffsinger, CPNP-AC Dane Snyder, MD Daniel Coury, MD Daniel DaJusta, MD Danielle Peifer, PT, DPT David A Wessells, PT, MHA David Axelson, MD David Stukus, MD Dean Lee, MD, PhD Debbie Terry, NP Deborah Hill, LSW Deborah Zerkle, LMT Deena Chisolm, PhD Deipanjan Nandi, MD MSc Denis King, MD Denise Ell Dennis Cunningham, MD Dennis McTigue, DDS Diane Lang Dominique R.

Williams, MD, MPH, FAAP, Dipl ABOM Donna M. Trentel, MSA, CCLS Donna Ruch, PhD Donna Teach Doug Wolf Douglas McLaughlin, MD Drew Duerson, MD Ed Miner Edward Oberle, MD, RhMSUS Edward Shepherd, MD Eileen Chaves, PhD Elena Camacho, LSW Elena Chiappinelli Elise Berlan, MD Elise Dawkins Elizabeth A.

Cannon, LPCC Elizabeth Grove, MS, RD, LD, CLC Elizabeth Swartz Elizabeth T. Murray, MD Elizabeth Vickery, PhD Elizabeth Zmuda, DO Emily A. Stuart, MD Emily Decker, MD Emma Wysocki, PharmD, RDN Eric Butter, PhD Eric Leighton, AT, ATC Eric Mull, DO Eric Sribnick, MD, PhD Erica Domrose, RD, LD Ericca Hewlett Ericca L Lovegrove, RD, LD Erika Roberts Erin Gates, PT, DPT Erin Johnson, M.

Erin M. Cornelius, MSN, FNP Erin McKnight, MD, MPH Erin Tebben Farah Khan, MD Farah W. Brink, MD Fatimah Masood Frances Fei, MD Gabriella Gonzales, MD Gail Bagwell, DNP, APRN, CNS Gail Besner, MD Gail Swisher, AT Garey Noritz, MD Gary A.

Smith, MD, DrPH Geri Hewitt, MD Gina Hounam, PhD Gina McDowell Gina Minot Grace Paul, MD Gregory D. Pearson, MD Griffin Stout, MD Guliz Erdem, MD Hailey Blosser, MA, CCC-SLP Hanna Mathess Hannah Barton, PhD Hannah Hays MD, FACMT, FACCT, FACEP Heather Battles, MD Heather Clark Heather L.

Terry, MSN, RN, FNP-C, CUNP Heather Yardley, PhD Henry Spiller Henry Xiang, MD, MPH, PhD Herman Hundley, MS, AT, ATC, CSCS Hersh Varma, MD Hilary Michel, MD Hiren Patel, MD Holly Deckling, MSSW, LISW Homa Amini, DDS, MPH, MS Howard Jacobs, MD Hunter Wernick, DO Ibrahim Khansa, MD Ilene Crabtree, PT Irene Mikhail, MD Irina Buhimschi, MD Ivor Hill, MD Jackie Cronau, RN, CWOCN Jacqueline Taylor, BSW Jacqueline Wynn, PhD, BCBA-D Jacquelyn Doxie King, PhD Jaime-Dawn Twanow, MD Jaimie D.

Nathan, MD, FACS James MacDonald, MD, MPH James Murakami, MD James Popp, MD James Ruda, MD Jamie Macklin, MD Jane Abel Janelle Huefner, MA, CCC-SLP Janice M.

Moreland, CPNP-PC, DNP Janice Townsend, DDS, MS Jared Sylvester Jason Jackson Jason P. Thackeray, MD Jonathan Finlay, MB, ChB, FRCP Jonathan M. Diefenbach, MD Karen Allen, MD Karen Days, MBA Karen Rachuba, RD, LD, CLC Karen Texter, MD Kari A.

Meeks, OT Kari Cardiff, OD Kari Dubro, MS, RD, LD, CWWS Kari Phang, MD Karla Vaz, MD Karyn L. Kassis, MD, MPH Kasey Strothman, MD Katelyn Krivchenia, MD Katherine Deans, MD Katherine McCracken, MD FACOG Katherine Redden Kathleen Katie Roush Kathleen Nicol, MD Kathryn Blocher, CPNP-PC Kathryn J.

Junge, RN, BSN Kathryn Obrynba, MD Katia Camille Halabi, MD Katie Brind'Amour, MS Katie Donovan Katie Thomas, APR Katrina Boylan Katrina Ruege, LPCC-S Katya Harfmann, MD Kayla Zimpfer, PCC Kaylan Guzman Schauer, LPCC-S Keli Young Kelli Dilver, PT, DPT Kelly Abrams Kelly Boone Kelly Huston Kelly J.

Kelleher, MD Kelly Lehman, MSN, CNP Kelly McNally, PhD Kelly N. Baker, MD Linda Stoverock, DNP, RN NEA-BC Lindsay Kneen, MD Lindsay Pietruszewski, PT, DPT Lindsay Schwartz Lindsey Vater, PsyD Lisa Golden Lisa Halloran, CNP Lisa M.

Humphrey, MD Logan Blankemeyer, MA, CCC-SLP Lori Grisez PT, DPT Lorraine Kelley-Quon Louis Bezold, MD Lourdes Hill, LPCC-S Lubna Mazin, PharmD Luke Tipple, MS, CSCS Lynda Wolfe, PhD Lyndsey Miller Lynn Rosenthal Lynne Ruess, MD Maggie Rosen, MD Maggy Rule, MS, AT, ATC Mahmoud Kallash, MD Mandy Boetz, LISW-S Manmohan K Kamboj, MD Marc Dutro Marc P.

Michalsky, MD Marcel J. Larouere, MBA, BSN, RN Mark E. Ed Meghan Cass, PT, DPT Meghan Fisher, BSN, RN Meika Eby, MD Melanie Fluellen, LPCC-S Melanie Luken, LISW-S Melissa and Mikael McLaren Melissa McMillen, CTRS Melissa Winterhalter, MD Meredith Merz Lind, MD Michael Flores, PhD Michael T.

Brady, MD Michelle Ross, MHA, RD, LD, ALC Mike Patrick, MD Min Jeong-Cho Mindy Deno, PT, DPT Mitch Ellinger, CPNP-PC Molly Dienhart, MD Molly Fuchs, MD Molly Gardner, PhD Monica Ardura, DO Monica Ellis Monique Goldschmidt, MD Motao Zhu, MD, MS, PhD Muhammed A. Khan, MD, MPH, FASGE Murugu Manickam, MD Nancy Auer Nancy Cunningham, PsyD Nancy Wright, BS, RRT, RCP, AE-C Naomi Kertesz, MD Natalie DeBacco Natalie I.

Romero, RD, LD, CLC Reggie Ash Jr. Reilly Harrington, CCC-SLP Reno Ravindran, MD Richard Kirschner, MD Richard Wood, MD Robert A.

Kowatch, MD, Ph. Robert Hoffman, MD Robert Treviño, MD, PhD Rochelle Krouse, CTRS Rohan Henry, MD, MS Rose Ayoob, MD Rose Schroedl, PhD Rosemary Martoma, MD Ross Maltz, MD Rustin Morse, MD Ryan Ingley AT, ATC Samanta Boddapati, PhD Samantha Malone Sandra C.

Kim, MD Sara Bentley, MT-BC Sara Bode, MD Sara Breidigan, MS, AT, ATC Sara N. Denny, MD Sarah Cline, CRA, RT R Sarah Driesbach, CPN, APN Sarah Greenberg Sarah Hastie, BSN, RNC-NIC Sarah Keim, PhD Sarah Mannon, CCLS Sarah Myers Sarah O'Brien, MD Sarah Saxbe Sarah Schmidt, LISW-S Sarah Scott Sarah Tracey Sarah VerLee, PhD Sasigarn Bowden, MD Satya Gedela, MD, MRCP UK Scott Coven, DO, MPH Scott Hickey, MD Sean Eing Sean Rose, MD Sean Tams, PhD Seth Alpert, MD Shalini C.

Sisk, RN, BSN, MHA Tracie Steinke RD, LD, CDE Tracy Mehan, MA Travis Gallagher, AT Trevor Miller Tria Shadeed, NNP Tyanna Snider, PsyD Tyler Congrove, AT Valencia Walker, MD, MPH, FAAP Valerie Lazzara Mould, MA, CTRS-BH Vanessa Shanks, MD, FAAP Venkata Rama Jayanthi, MD Vidu Garg, MD Vidya Raman, MD Vidya Sivaraman, MD W.

Garrett Hunt, MD Walter Samora, MD Warren D. Lo, MD Wendy Anderson, MD Wendy Cleveland, MA, LPCC-S Whitney McCormick, CTRS Whitney Raglin Bignall, PhD William Cotton, MD William J.

Barson, MD William Ray, PhD William W. Of the three macronutrients—carbs, fat, and protein—research best supports the role of protein during injury recovery. Whenever a body experiences a health disturbance, such as sickness or inflammation, extra protein is required to maximize muscle protein synthesis.

Consume too little of it and your healing will lag, inflammation will increase, and muscle loss may follow. Beckmann recommends aiming for one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day while recovering from an injury, so grams for a pound person.

Spreading that intake throughout the day is helpful, too—try and sneak a little protein into each meal and snack, and get a final hit at bedtime.

Seek out a variety of protein sources, such as ethically sourced meats, dairy products, eggs, beans, tofu, and tempeh. All of these high-protein options are also rich in leucine , an essential amino acid involved in the growth and repair of muscle, skin, and bone.

Her recommendation is to eat a minimum of 1. These offer more nutrients, ample fiber, and longer-lasting energy. A supplement, by definition, is supposed to be an add-on, not the main ingredient. She recommends leaning on real foods containing the following micronutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D , calcium, magnesium , zinc, and copper.

These are largely found in colorful fruits and vegetables as well as in dairy products, nuts, and seeds. Mushrooms, for example, are great sources of copper, which assists with red-blood-cell formation, immune function, and bone health. Legumes contain high levels of magnesium, which plays a role in protein synthesis, circulation, and the absorption and metabolism of calcium and vitamin D.

With a bone fracture, for instance, Kruppa says that your calcium needs increase to 1, milligrams per day, which may necessitate supplementation. If you think you might be deficient— common symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, and weakness —consult with a doctor and get a blood test before supplementing iron.

Leucine, a branched-chain amino acid, stimulates muscle protein synthesis faster than other amino acids. Casein, a milk protein that comes in powdered form and many dairy products, contains all the amino acids your body needs to build and repair muscle.

Creatine, an amino acid, may help prevent muscle loss , especially while a limb is immobilized. Whey protein may boost ligament, tendon, and muscle healing when consumed within an hour after exercise or rehabilitation.

And collagen, when ingested before exercise with vitamin C, may help with the recovery of ligament and tendon injuries. Consult with your doctor or a nutritionist first to ensure a supplement makes sense for you.

As with most nutritional questions, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Search Search. Becky Wade Originally Published Feb 17, Updated May 12, btn, a.

Eat Enough Respect the energy demands of healing.