Injury

  • Inflammation, Injury, Recovery, Supplements

    Sore Muscles Improved With The Help Of Omega-3s

    There’s nothing quite like finishing up leg day, walking like Bambi. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, we wake up the next morning with even more sore muscles than the day before.

    While some muscle soreness is perfectly normal and part of the training adaptation, there’s certainly a fine line. Especially if it’s after a game with another one coming up again soon. Recovery is the key and omega-3s could help speed things up.

    The first thing to discuss though is what omega-3s are! Omega-3s are fatty acids most commonly found in fatty fish. This is why you hear the recommendation so often to eat fish three times per week. These fats are great at helping to reduce inflammation as this study showed.

    Why focus on inflammation for sore muscles?

    Inflammation can be a good thing in limited quantities because that is what helps us improve our workouts and strength over time. Exercise beats our body up a bit causing an increasing in inflammation. Our body then is forced to have to control that new inflammation and bring it back down. Regular exposure to this helps our body to be able to handle that inflammation and workload allowing us to get strong and train even harder.

    Image of runner with sore muscle from leg inflammation

    Too much inflammation and muscle breakdown though causes really sore muscles. This is because our body can’t handle the amount of inflammation and breakdown that is occurring. The fun part is, the soreness usually doesn’t peak until about two or three days after the event. Why have just one day of fun right?

    Image of tournament bracket

    In moments where we have quick turnarounds and need to perform optimally the next day (ie. tournaments) this is bad news. Muscle soreness, decreased range of motion and decreased strength is the exact opposite of what we are wanting. Having a good recovery strategy in place could be the key difference for you in these moments.

    Maximize the recovery time you have

    For optimal recovery the fundamentals will always be there; good sleep, hydration, fruit & vegetables, adequate protein, good fats and in case you missed it the first time…sleep! But omega-3s can certainly help provide a boost to maximize things.

    Eating fatty fish (ie. wild caught salmon) is great but if not a fan of eating fish, a quality fish oil supplement would be worth looking into. Generally, 2-5 grams per day is perfect depending on the situation.

    Enjoy your omega-3s, you will thank yourself later!

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  • Injury, Macronutrients, Recovery, Sleep

    Bedtime Snack: Friend or Foe

    It’s not uncommon to hear someone talking about how they don’t eat after dinner, nothing after 6pm, feeling sluggish in the morning because they ate right before bed, if they eat late at night they gain weight like it’s nothing. This may have more to do with what and how much they are eating as opposed to the act of eating before bed itself. If planned for properly, a bedtime snack can actually be beneficial!
     
    What’s so good about it?
     
    By properly planning and having an appropriate snack you can actually build muscle while you sleep. No, it isn’t too good to be true. It’s a great opportunity to keep improving and recovering in a fairy easy manner. It’s another small adjustment that can result in big changes long term.
     
    To achieve these benefits the thing you want to focus on is……PROTEIN! Consuming protein 30-60 minutes before you go to bed will provide your body with the building blocks your muscles need to continue building and repairing while asleep.6
     
    What makes this timing different than normally consuming protein during the day every 3-4 hours is that when we’re sleeping, our body releases all of the fun muscle building hormones (eg testosterone, growth hormone).2,4,5 Adding protein into the mix helps enhance the effect of those hormones.
     
    The amount to consume depends on your size but in general 20-30 grams is sufficient. This is similar to the amount recommended for meals and snacks to maximize your muscle building and repair.
     
    If given the option, casein protein seems to be the top choice for bedtime protein. Casein is a form of protein found in dairy like whey protein, but is digested slower than whey. This slow release will help prolong the duration in which protein is in your blood being delivered to your muscles and continuing to help build and repair your muscles. Whey is a fine option as well but because it is digested faster, it may not have as long a duration to stimulate muscle building. Overall, if you don’t have or can’t find a casein powder supplement, whey will be good as well. What I would recommend over a supplement though would be to get it from food. Having Greek yogurt or some cottage cheese is a perfect option.
     
    This all helps emphasize the importance of giving yourself the appropriate amount of time to sleep! It plays a major role in so many things and should not be overlooked if you’re wanting to make sure that you’re doing everything you can to improve.1,3,7
     
    So eating before you go to bed isn’t a bad thing! It can be good and beneficial for helping you build muscle and recover if you plan that snack appropriately. The benefits won’t be seen or noticed after one night of eating some Greek yogurt but over the course of an entire season and career the benefits can be substantial. It always comes down to those little details to separate yourself from the competition so make sure you’re not missing out on a good opportunity to continue improving yourself!
     
    1. Copenhaver EA, Diamond AB. The Value of Sleep on Athletic Performance, Injury, and Recovery in the Young Athlete. Pediatr Ann. 2017 Mar 1;46(3):e106-e111.
    2. Cortés-Gallegos V, Castañeda G, Alonso R, Sojo I, Carranco A, Cervantes C, Parra A. Sleep deprivation reduces circulating androgens in healthy men. Arch Androl. 1983 Mar;10(1):33-7.
    3. Kohn TP, Kohn JR, Haney NM, Pastuszak AW, Lipshultz LI. The effect of sleep on men’s health. Transl Androl Urol. 2020 Mar;9(Suppl 2):S178-S185.
    4. Lamon S, Morabito A, Arentson-Lantz E, Knowles O, Vincent GE, Condo D, Alexander SE, Garnham A, Paddon-Jones D, Aisbett B. The effect of acute sleep deprivation on skeletal muscle protein synthesis and the hormonal environment. Physiol Rep. 2021 Jan;9(1):e14660.
    5. Luboshitzky R, Herer P, Levi M, Shen-Orr Z, Lavie P. Relationship between rapid eye movement sleep and testosterone secretion in normal men. J Androl. 1999 Nov-Dec;20(6):731-7.
    6. Reis CEG, Loureiro LMR, Roschel H, da Costa THM. Effects of pre-sleep protein consumption on muscle-related outcomes – A systematic review. J Sci Med Sport. 2021 Feb;24(2):177-182. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2020.07.016. Epub 2020 Aug 7.
    7. de Sousa Nogueira Freitas L, da Silva FR, Andrade HA, Guerreiro RC, Paulo FV, de Mello MT, Silva A. Sleep debt induces skeletal muscle injuries in athletes: A promising hypothesis. Med Hypotheses. 2020 Sep;142:109836. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109836. Epub 2020 May 12.

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