If you have sustained a tendon injury (ex/ rotator cuff injury, tennis elbow, achilles tendonitis,
jumper’s knee, greater trochanteric pain) and you want to help your rehab go better by making
dietary changes to support it.
You probably know the importance of eating a healthy diet and getting more sleep to support
healing. But what specifically can you eat to support your injury?
The primary protein that makes up tendons is collagen, which provides the tendon with structure
and strength. Loading the tendon quickly creates stiffness in the tendon. If the tendon becomes
more stiff than it is strong, it can result in an injury (like a tendon rupture). We have all been
exposed to the aggressive marketing campaign that collagen supplement companies have been
pushing. But what type of supplement should you buy to improve tendon healing? And how
much should you take?
Current research suggests that supplementing with 50mg of Vitamin C and 15g of gelatin may
support tendon health, taken 1 hour before activity. Why before and not after activity? Blood
flow to a tendon is low at rest, so it is recommended to consume this nutritional supplement
before activity as the tendon will become more metabolically active. Why supplement with
Vitamin C? Vitamin C, in the presence of amino acids, creates a dose-dependent increase in
collagen in the blood, making the gelatin supplement more effective.
It is also recommended to supplement or increase consumption of the amino acid leucine to
improve tendon health. Whey protein is about 10% leucine, the highest of any food. But other
leucine-rich proteins can support tendon healing, like salmon, eggs, chicken, and soy, when
consumed in combination with strength training.
Source:
Baar, K., PhD. (2017). MINIMIZING INJURY AND MAXIMIZING RETURN TO PLAY
RESEARCH: LESSONS FROM ENGINEERED LIGAMENTS. Sports Science
Exchange,
29(187), 1–6. https://www.gssiweb.org/docs/default-source/sse-
docs/barr_sse_187_v2.pdf?sfvrsn=2