Ep. #415: Lyle McDonald on How to Recover Faster from Injuries

If you work out or do just about anything physically challenging often enough, chances are you’re going to have to deal with an injury or two along the way, even if they’re just minor issues like muscle strains, tendonitis, joint aggravations, and the like.In most cases, a little extra R&R is all it takes to heal up, but if an injury is more severe, there’s a lot more you can do to accelerate your recovery. And that’s what Lyle McDonald is going to talk about in this interview.In case you’re not familiar with Lyle, he has been one of the foremost evidence-based fitness researchers and writers for a couple decades now and someone whose work I’ve always liked.He’s also uniquely qualified to talk about injury recovery because he has not only scoured the literature on the topic but used what he learned to help recover from a rather gruesome rollerblading accident that literally shattered his leg.After the strategies he discusses in this episode worked so well that his doctor was genuinely impressed by how rapidly his leg healed up, Lyle documented everything in book called Optimal Nutrition for Injury Recovery.Obviously the book focuses on how to use nutrition to recover faster and better from injuries, and that’s also the focus of this episode, but Lyle also shares some other tips that can markedly increase healing.5:23 - Why did you write this book on injury recovery? 11:17 - What are some of the healing myths of injury recovery? 21:12- Why is inflammation good? 29:57 - How does nutrition play into injury recovery? 31:50 - How pronounced are those effects? 33:31 - How do you figure out if your maintenance level has changed? 43:14 - Why are micronutrients important? 50:14 - Does collagen benefit tendon health for people who aren’t injured? 53:52 - Was your doctor impressed with your recovery? 1:15:13 - What’s next for you? 1:25:34 - Where can people find you and your work?Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here: https://www.muscleforlife.com/signup/