A running injury can really set you back. Even a twisted ankle can throw a wrench in your marathon plans. I try to avoid running injuries in various ways, from staying hydrated and wearing the right comfortable running shoes to carefully choosing my terrain. Recently, researchers have been exploring how diet impacts the risk of running injuries, with interesting results. Let’s explore the research.
The study
In a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, researchers assessed 15 previous studies, including data on 5,942 distance runners. Their goal was to determine whether diet and disordered eating risk contributed to running-related injuries.
The researchers pointed out that while a couple of systematic reviews have looked at this connection between diet and running injuries, they didn’t focus exclusively on dietary factors and only included a few studies that followed individuals over an extended time period.
The results
The results of this meta-analysis revealed that injured female runners had lower caloric and fat intake compared to uninjured runners. In general, injured runners had lower dietary fiber intake, about three fewer grams of fiber in their diet per day, than uninjured runners. Other dietary factors like calcium, carbohydrate, protein, and alcohol didn’t influence injury risk.
Overall, the researchers concluded that runners with lower fiber and a lower caloric intake have a higher risk of running-related injury. It’s important to note that this analysis relied on self-reported dietary data, which isn’t considered the most accurate.
The takeaway
The researchers noted that if a runner isn’t consuming sufficient nutrition and calories, the body can’t efficiently repair muscle tissue and could take nutrients from bones instead. Dietary fat helps you absorb crucial vitamins that promote your bone and muscle health, namely vitamins A, D, K, and E. Fat and fiber are crucial for a balanced, healthy diet, and this recent meta-analysis only further emphasizes that.
Dietary fiber supports a healthy microbiome, which refers to the bacterial and microbial ecosystem in your gut. A healthier microbiome can lead to less inflammation, so the researchers point to all of these reasons contributing to a lower risk of getting injured on the running track. This new research shows us that a healthier diet that supports our bones, immune system, microbiome, and nutrient absorption helps prevent those painful and time-consuming running injuries. I think it’s time to eat some fiber-rich veggies, polyphenol-packed berries, and some healthy fats from foods like wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef, and avocado — yum.
