What should you eat before and after a physiotherapy treatment?
Following an injury or surgery, the benefits of a healthy balanced diet are important. By eating properly, you can optimize your rehabilitation process. Indeed, an adequate diet before and after a physiotherapy session will help you maximize your recovery between sessions and thus optimize your healing. In this article, we briefly walk you through some key nutrients and discuss what to eat before and after a physiotherapy session.
Key nutrients
- Proteins = tissue repair (muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, etc.)
- Carbohydrates = preferred source of energy for the body and brain
- Calcium and vitamin D = bone health
(These nutrients are not discussed as such in this article, but we encourage you to consult your doctor, pharmacist or nutritionist to determine if taking a calcium or vitamin D supplement is appropriate.)
What to eat before your treatment?
Your diet before the session should allow you to have enough energy throughout your physiotherapy session. By optimizing your energy level, you are likely to perform the exercises better. Who says better execution of movements during the session, says better rehabilitation and better healing!
The size of your meal or snack depends on the time between your meal and the treatment.
3 hours before = regular meal rich in carbohydrates and proteins
2 hours before = small meal rich in carbohydrates and proteins
1 hour before = snack rich in carbohydrates and proteins
30 minutes before = small snack rich in carbohydrates and proteins
Here are some examples. (The amounts shown in these examples may not be right for you. Feel free to increase or decrease the portions as needed and based on your hunger)
3 hours before = pasta topped with tomato sauce, tossed with 2 finger-sized chicken pieces each and 1 cup of mixed vegetables.
2 hours before = a salmon fillet, 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of cooked vegetables.
1 hour before = ¾ cup 0% vanilla fat Greek yogurt and 2/3 cup fresh or frozen fruit.
30 minutes before = 200-250ml of 0 or 1% chocolate milk or any flavored soy drink of your choice (chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, etc.)
What to eat after your treatment?
Your diet after the session will allow you to optimize the building of your muscles and tissues used or in the process of healing. You will thus optimize your recovery after each session which will allow you to optimize your overall healing!
Depending on your meal schedule during the day, you can eat the meal planned on your schedule or eat a snack rich in protein and carbohydrates. For example, if your session ends at 5:00 p.m. and you have dinner at 6:00 p.m., there is no particular point in having a snack unless you are very hungry. However, if your session ends at 2:00 p.m. and your next scheduled meal is dinner at 6:00 p.m., having a snack may be beneficial.
Here are some snack suggestions. (The amounts shown in these examples may not be right for you. Feel free to increase or decrease the portions as needed and based on your hunger.)
-½ cup 0% fat Greek yogurt with ½ cup fresh or frozen fruit
-50g of cheese (2 pieces the size of your thumb) and ¼ cup of dried fruit or ½ cup of fresh fruit
-1 cup (250ml) of 0 or 1% chocolate milk or any flavored soy beverage of your choice
-1 homemade or store-bought soft protein bar (such as Simply Protein, Vector or Kellogg's brands) * The bar must contain at least 8g of protein
We hope this article enlightens you about the diet surrounding physiotherapy sessions. For answers to your questions and personalized nutrition advice, we invite you to make an appointment. Our nutritionist will be happy to help you optimize your state of health by adopting healthy eating habits. Nutritionist services are excellent for anyone who wants to ensure that their diet is healthy and balanced. By making one change at a time, anything is possible!
Kinatex makes sure to provide quality service to its customers. This is why a nutritionist is among their team of professionals. Contact us to learn more about the nutrition services offered at Kinatex Saint-Léonard!
