Rehabilitation Nutrition for Tendon and Ligament Injuries: From Collagen Remodeling to Return-to-Activity and Sport.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing clinical, mechanistic, and applied literature without systematic methodology.
PubMed 42512652 · doi:10.3390/healthcare14142136
What was done
This narrative review synthesized clinical, mechanistic, and applied sports nutrition literature identified via targeted database searches and manual reference screening to examine nutritional strategies supporting tendon and ligament rehabilitation and return-to-sport progression.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative data or effect sizes. It qualitatively identifies adequate energy availability and protein intake as foundational for tissue repair and loading tolerance. Pre-exercise collagen or gelatin supplementation paired with vitamin C is highlighted for supporting collagen remodeling substrates, creatine for preserving muscle during unloaded periods, and omega-3 fatty acids and micronutrients for inflammation resolution and musculoskeletal health.
Why it matters
It outlines how targeted nutritional interventions can serve as adjuncts to mechanical loading to optimize connective tissue healing and progression through rehabilitation phases.
Limits
The review is narrative rather than systematic and provides no primary data, statistical pooling, or risk-of-bias assessments. The abstract emphasizes that current evidence lacks well-designed clinical trials measuring hard clinical endpoints such as return-to-sport timelines, reinjury rates, and long-term structural tissue outcomes.