Nutrition for Injury Recovery: What a Registered Dietitian Can Add to Your Physio Plan

Picture a patient six weeks after rotator cuff surgery. They attend physiotherapy twice a week and do their home program, and their strength is coming back more slowly than expected.

Exercise is one input to recovery. What a person eats is another, and it is the one that rarely gets asked about. This guide covers what the research on eating during injury recovery supports, where that research stops, and what a registered dietitian adds to a physiotherapy plan.

Protein and Energy Come First

A 2015 review by Tipton in Sports Medicine, Nutritional Support for Exercise-Induced Injuries, is a useful starting point. Its abstract says that deficiencies of energy and protein should be avoided after an injury and that energy balance is critical. For injuries severe enough to immobilise a limb, it says higher protein intakes of 2 to 2.5 g per kilogram of body weight per day seem to be warranted. For a 70 kg person, that is 140 to 175 g of protein a day.

The review adds a second point for people who are eating less because they are less active: at the very least, the absolute amount of protein should not be reduced when energy intake is reduced.

That figure applies to injuries that immobilise a limb. Your own target depends on your size, your injury, and your other health conditions, so ask a dietitian or doctor before you change how much protein you eat. A registered dietitian takes a food history to see what you eat now, then builds a plan around your food preferences, schedule, and budget.

Collagen, Gelatin, and Timing

Collagen is the main structural protein in tendons and ligaments, and loading exercise in physiotherapy is meant to stimulate its production. That has led to interest in whether a food or supplement can add to the effect.

The best-known study is by Shaw and colleagues, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2017. Eight healthy men took 5 g or 15 g of vitamin C enriched gelatin, or a placebo, one hour before 6 minutes of rope skipping. The routine was repeated three times a day for three days. In the men who took 15 g, the blood level of a marker of collagen building (amino-terminal propeptide of collagen I) doubled. The authors concluded that gelatin could play a beneficial role in injury prevention and tissue repair.

The study measured blood markers and lab-grown ligaments in eight healthy volunteers. Whether gelatin speeds up recovery in an injured tendon is a separate question, and this trial leaves it open. A dietitian can talk through whether trying it makes sense for you, based on your health conditions and the other supplements you take.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Inflammation

After an injury, the body starts an inflammatory response. The Tipton review notes that excess inflammation may be harmful, but that inflammation matters for wound healing, so trying to cut it down hard may work against recovery. For that reason, a plan to "reduce inflammation" with food or supplements deserves a careful look.

On omega-3 fatty acids, the same review describes the evidence as promising but preliminary, and it refers to countering muscle loss. It calls the evidence for the effectiveness of many other nutrients after injury unclear, even though claims for them are common. Its overall advice is a well-balanced diet based on whole, minimally processed foods, with the diet reviewed again as the injury heals and activity changes.

Vitamin D and Bone Healing

Osteoporosis Canada states that vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium to keep bones strong, and that in Canada, reduced daylight and skin exposure to sun between October and March make it hard to make vitamin D.

Statistics Canada measured vitamin D blood levels in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (data collected from August 2009 to November 2011). In Vitamin D blood levels of Canadians, 40% of Canadians were below the 50 nmol/L cut-off in winter, compared with 25% in summer. That is a national figure, and it is 15 years old. If you have a fracture or another bone injury, ask your doctor whether a blood test for vitamin D makes sense. A blog post cannot set a supplement dose for you, and a dietitian or doctor can.

What a Dietitian Adds to a Rehab Plan

For a person in physiotherapy, the practical questions are short:

• Are you eating enough? Energy balance is critical during recovery, and pain or reduced activity can change how much a person eats.
• Does your protein intake match your injury? A food history shows where the gaps are.
• Which supplements are you considering? Gelatin, fish oil, and vitamin D each have a different level of evidence, as described above, and your medications and health conditions affect what is sensible.

A registered dietitian works alongside the physiotherapist. The physiotherapist plans the loading and movement, and the dietitian looks at the food side of the same plan.

Registered Dietitian vs Nutritionist in BC

In BC, "registered dietitian" is a regulated title and "nutritionist" is an unprotected one that anyone can use. Our guide to registered dietitians vs nutritionists in BC sets out how the regulation works and what to ask. You can check that a dietitian is registered in the CHCPBC public directory, which lists dietetics among the professions it covers.

Booking and Cost at Launch Rehab

Our registered dietitian is based at the Richmond studio and also sees clients online. A 60-minute initial assessment is $160 and a 30-minute follow-up is $90, as listed on the rates page (effective April 1, 2026). Dietetics is not billed directly to MSP, ICBC, or WorkSafeBC. Most clients pay at the time of the visit and submit the receipt to their extended health plan if it covers dietitian services, so check your plan before you book.

You can book online at launch.janeapp.com.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein do I need while recovering from an injury?

For an injury that immobilises a limb, Tipton's 2015 review in Sports Medicine says protein intakes of 2 to 2.5 g per kilogram of body weight per day seem to be warranted, which is 140 to 175 g a day for a 70 kg person. Your own target depends on your size, injury, and other health conditions, so a dietitian or doctor should set it.

Should I eat less when I am moving less after an injury?

Energy balance is critical during recovery, according to the 2015 Tipton review of nutrition for injured exercisers. It says deficiencies of energy and protein should be avoided, and that when energy intake is reduced, the absolute amount of protein should at the very least stay the same. A dietitian can help you adjust portions without losing protein.

Does taking gelatin or collagen before exercise help a tendon heal?

It has not been shown to. A 2017 trial in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition gave 8 healthy men 15 g of vitamin C enriched gelatin an hour before rope skipping, and a blood marker of collagen building doubled. The trial did not test injured tendons, so whether gelatin speeds healing in people with a tendon injury is still unanswered.

Should I take omega-3 supplements right after an acute injury?

The evidence does not give a clear yes. The 2015 Tipton review says inflammation matters for wound healing and that cutting it down hard may not suit recovery. It describes omega-3 evidence as promising but preliminary, and only for countering muscle loss. Ask your doctor or dietitian before starting a supplement, especially if you take other medication.

Why does vitamin D matter for injury recovery in BC?

Osteoporosis Canada says vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium to keep bones strong, and that reduced daylight between October and March makes it hard to make vitamin D in Canada. Statistics Canada found 40% of Canadians below the 50 nmol/L cut-off in winter and 25% in summer. A blood test through your doctor shows your own level.

What is the difference between a registered dietitian and a nutritionist in BC?

"Registered dietitian" is a regulated title in BC, held by people registered with the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC). "Nutritionist" is not a protected title, so anyone can use it whatever their training. You can search for a dietitian's registration in the CHCPBC public directory before you book.

Where does Launch Rehab's registered dietitian work?

Launch Rehab's registered dietitian is based at the Richmond studio, which is the studio with a dietitian on site, and also sees clients online. This means a client at the Lougheed, Coquitlam, New Westminster, or North Burnaby studio can book an online dietetics appointment instead of travelling to Richmond.

How much is a first dietitian appointment at Launch Rehab?

A 60-minute initial dietetics assessment with Launch Rehab's registered dietitian is $160, and a 30-minute follow-up is $90, effective April 1, 2026. The rates page also lists a free 15-minute discovery call for dietetics. Check the rates page for the current prices before you book, because they can change.

Do MSP, ICBC, or WorkSafeBC pay for dietitian visits at Launch Rehab?

Dietetics at Launch Rehab is not billed directly to MSP, ICBC, or WorkSafeBC. Most clients pay at the time of the visit and send the receipt to their extended health plan if it covers dietitian services. Plans differ in what they cover and how much they pay, so ask your insurer before the first appointment.

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This post is for general education. It is not a substitute for assessment or advice from a regulated health professional.

Sources

• Tipton KD, Nutritional Support for Exercise-Induced Injuries, Sports Medicine, 2015
• Shaw G et al., Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2017
• Statistics Canada, Vitamin D blood levels of Canadians, Health at a Glance, modified 2015-11-27
• Osteoporosis Canada, Vitamin D
• CHCPBC public directory of registered professionals