How Underfueling Can Lead to Injury During Training: Nutrition Guidelines for Athletes
Why Fueling Matters for Athletes
Whether you're training for a marathon, hitting the gym, or practicing your sport daily, one factor can make or break your progress: fueling your body properly. Unfortunately, many athletes unintentionally underfuel, leading to fatigue, poor performance, and injury.
In this blog post, we’ll explain the connection between underfueling and injury risk and offer evidence-based guidelines for carbohydrate, protein, and fluid intake to keep you healthy and performing at your best.
What Is Underfueling?
Underfueling occurs when your energy intake (food and drink) doesn’t meet the demands of your training and daily activity. It can be intentional (e.g., dieting) or unintentional (e.g., busy schedule, poor appetite, or lack of nutrition knowledge).
How Underfueling Increases Injury Risk
If you consistently underfuel, your body won’t have the resources it needs to recover and adapt to training. This increases your injury risk in several key ways:
Increased risk of stress fractures due to impaired bone remodeling
Muscle breakdown and delayed recovery from lack of protein and energy
Weakened immune system, making it harder to stay consistent with training
Hormonal disruption (like reduced estrogen or testosterone), which affects both performance and recovery
Athletes who underfuel are more prone to overuse injuries like tendinitis, bone stress injuries (BSIs), and muscle strains.
Nutrition Guidelines to Prevent Injury
To stay strong and resilient during training, you need to focus on three key areas: carbohydrates, protein, and hydration.
1. Carbohydrates: Your Primary Source of Energy
Why they matter: Carbohydrates fuel high-intensity workouts and support glycogen stores. Low-carb diets can lead to fatigue and muscle breakdown.
Daily Carbohydrate Recommendations:
Training Load / Carb Intake (g/kg body weight)
Light (<1 hr/day) = 3–5 g/kg
Moderate (1–3 hrs/day) = 5–7 g/kg
High (>3 hrs/day)7–10+ g/kg
Example: A 70 kg athlete training 2 hours daily should consume 350–490g of carbs per day.
Best sources: Whole grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, rice, oats, pasta, and legumes.
2. Protein: Essential for Recovery and Repair
Why it matters: Protein supports muscle repair, immune function, and adaptation to training stress.
Daily Protein Recommendations:
Athlete Type / Protein Intake (g/kg body weight)
Endurance athletes = 1.2–1.6 g/kg
Strength athletes1.6–2.2 g/kg
Tip: Distribute protein intake evenly throughout the day, aiming for 20–30g every 3–4 hours.
Best sources: Lean meats, eggs, dairy, soy, legumes, protein shakes.
3. Hydration: Prevent Cramping and Fatigue
Why it matters: Dehydration affects performance, coordination, and injury risk. Even a 2% fluid loss can impair performance.
Fluid Intake Guidelines:
Before training: 5–10 mL/kg 2–4 hours prior
During training: 400–800 mL/hour, depending on sweat rate
After training: Rehydrate with 150% of fluid lost
Pro tip: Weigh yourself before and after long workouts to estimate sweat loss. Use sports drinks with electrolytes for workouts over an hour (it will also help replenish your carbohydrates!)
Signs You Might Be Underfueling
If you’re underfueling, your body will send you signals. Look out for these warning signs:
Frequent or nagging injuries
Ongoing fatigue or poor recovery
Loss of menstrual cycle (in females)
Increased illness or cold frequency
Mood changes and low energy availability
Constant hunger or fixation on food
Fuel Smart to Train Hard
If you're serious about your sport, nutrition should be a top priority. Proper fueling isn’t just about performance — it’s about injury prevention, long-term health, and sustainable training.
By meeting your needs for carbohydrates, protein, and hydration, you give your body the tools it needs to perform, recover, and stay injury-free.
Dr. Matt Wentzell
BKin, MSc, DC, FRCCSS(C)
North Vancouver Sport Chiropractor
Shockwave and Class IV Laser Therapy: A Powerful Duo for Treating Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common and stubborn causes of heel pain. If you've been waking up with sharp pain under your foot or struggling with discomfort that limits your daily activities, you're not alone.
At Mountain Health and Performance, we understand how frustrating it can be when pain lingers despite rest, stretching, and traditional treatments.
That's why we offer a powerful, proven combination: Shockwave Therapy and Class IV Laser Therapy. Together, these advanced therapies help stimulate healing, reduce inflammation, and get you back on your feet faster.
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis occurs when the thick band of tissue that supports your arch — the plantar fascia — becomes irritated and inflamed.
Symptoms often include:
Sharp heel pain, especially with your first steps in the morning
Discomfort after periods of rest
Tenderness along the bottom of the foot
Plantar fasciitis can be notoriously difficult to heal because the foot is under constant use. Without the right treatment approach, the condition can become chronic and severely impact quality of life.
What Is Shockwave Therapy?
Shockwave Therapy uses high-energy sound waves to target damaged tissues. It works by:
Stimulating blood flow to the area
Breaking down scar tissue and calcifications
Triggering your body’s natural healing response
Research shows that Shockwave is highly effective for chronic plantar fasciitis, often succeeding where traditional treatments have failed. Most patients experience noticeable pain relief and improved mobility after just a few sessions and long term healing will occur in the months following the treatment plan.
What Is Class IV Laser Therapy?
Class IV Laser Therapy is a cutting-edge treatment that delivers concentrated light energy deep into tissues.
The laser works at a cellular level by:
Reducing inflammation
Accelerating tissue repair
Enhancing circulation
Unlike lower-powered lasers, a Class IV laser penetrates deeper, reaching areas traditional therapies often miss. Treatments are comfortable, soothing, and non-invasive — and they enhance your body’s ability to heal naturally.
Why Combining These Treatments Works Even Better
While Shockwave Therapy and Laser Therapy are both effective individually, combining them offers even greater results.
Shockwave kickstarts the healing process by stimulating tissue repair and breaking up chronic adhesions.
Laser Therapy reduces inflammation, calms irritated tissues, and speeds up cellular regeneration.
Together, they create a comprehensive healing environment — addressing both the cause of your pain and the inflammation that keeps it going.
This dual approach is especially beneficial for patients with long-standing, stubborn plantar fasciitis who haven't seen success with other treatments.
What to Expect During Treatment
At Mountain Health and Performance, your care plan is personalized to your needs.
Typically, a course of Shockwave and Laser Therapy involves several sessions spaced over a few weeks.
Shockwave treatments take only a few minutes and can cause mild discomfort (similar to a deep tissue massage), but many patients find it very tolerable.
Some individuals feel temporary soreness or a slight flare-up after sessions — this is a normal part of the body’s healing response.
Laser treatments feel warm and relaxing, with no discomfort.
There’s little to no downtime after treatments, and improvements often build with each session.
True tissue healing and long-lasting relief typically continue to progress even after the treatment series has ended.
Take the First Step Toward Pain-Free Living
If heel pain is limiting your life, it’s time for a different approach. At Mountain Health and Performance, we've been helping patients move better and feel better for over 25 years with evidence-based, innovative care. To our knowledge, we’re the only clinic offering both these services in North Vancouver.
Our experienced team is here to guide you toward lasting relief with treatments that work.
Ready to take the first step?
Contact us today to book your consultation and find out if Shockwave and Class IV Laser Therapy are right for you.
Dr. Amy Wiggins
BKin, DC
North Vancouver Chiropractor
Post-Game Recovery: What Professional Athletes Do (and How You Can Too)
Why Recovery Matters as Much as Training
When you think of professional athletes, you might picture intense workouts or highlight-reel moments. But behind the scenes, post-game recovery is where real performance gains happen. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or training for a marathon, smart recovery can be your secret weapon. At our Mountain Health and Performance, we teach athletes of all levels how to recover smarter, prevent injuries, and boost long-term performance.
Here’s how the pros do it—and how you can too.
1. Active Recovery Is Essential
Elite athletes rarely go from full intensity to a complete stop. Light movement post-game will promote circulation and can speed muscle repair.
How to recover like a pro: Try 20–30 minutes of low-impact cardio like walking, cycling, or a gentle yoga session after a tough game, or try a lower-intensity cycling, swimming or mobility work-out the day after a tough workout or competition.
2. Contrast Therapy & Cold Immersion for Faster Muscle Recovery
Ice baths aren’t just Instagram hype (spoiler: a dedicated blog post on this is coming!). Many athletes use cold therapy or hot/cold contrast showers to reduce inflammation and aid muscle recovery.
At-home hack: End your regular shower with a 30-second blast of cold water. Gradually build up your cold tolerance and over time, increase the cold exposure while alternating with warm water.
3. Prioritize Soft Tissue Care
Massage therapy and myofascial work aren't luxuries — they’re essential for tissue health and injury prevention.
Pro tip: Book a recovery massage within 48 hours after a major competition or heavy training session. If a post-competition massage is not practical or feasible for you, try some post-competition foam rolling on major muscle groups which may hasten your recovery.
4. Sleep: The Most Powerful Recovery Tool
Sleep is when most recovery happens, including muscle repair and hormone balancing.
Quick win: Aim for 8-10 hours of high-quality sleep with a consistent bedtime routine. Aim for a consistent sleep schedule, dark bedroom, and no screens for least 60 minutes before bed.
5. Refuel Properly After Games
Nutrition is key to recovery. Most, if not all pro teams consult with nutritionists or dieticians and have a post-game nutrition strategy in place to replenish energy stores and hydration, and provide the body what it needs for tissue repair.
Winning combo: Eat a mix of carbs and protein within an hour after intense exercise — think smoothies, wraps, Greek yogurt and/or a banana. Not eating can seriously hinder your ability to recuperate following intense activity and increase your chances of injury over time.
Final Tip: Recovery will always happen in some capacity, but recovering optimally requires intent
Don't just train hard — recover smart. Mountain Health and Performance in North Vancouver offers massage therapy, chiropractic care, laser therapy, shockwave and other tools to help you recover. Book an appointment with one of our practitioners and recover like a pro.
Dr. Matt Wentzell
BKin, MSc, DC, FRCCSS(C)
North Vancouver Sport Chiropractor