Optimising Injury Healing – Effects of Smoking

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Smoking – we all know it’s bad for your health and it is the cause of many serious health problems.  Each cigarette contains over 4000 chemicals, 70 of which have been identified as causing cancer.  In fact, every cigarette takes 11 mins off your life expectancy.

 

But, did you know that smoking slows our body’s healing?  Every lungful of smoke you inhale prolongs your recovery time from an injury.  How?  Well, our lungs should be filled with oxygen rich air (not smoke) that passes from our lungs into our blood which flows around our bodies, keeping our tissues healthy and healing our damaged tissues.  Essentially oxygen is “food” for our bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments.  If you smoke, you truly are starving your injury of food and its ability to heal.  On top of all that, nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, which means it closes the blood vessels and further limits blood flow to the extremities.   It gets worse – smoking also makes our blood thicker, making it harder to travel through the already narrowed blood vessels.   Think of a busy four lane motorway being your blood vessels and the passengers in the car are oxygen (that tissue food).  If you smoke it’s like blocking two of those lanes off.  Imagine how long it will now take to get all those passengers (oxygen) to their destination (your injury).   That is your recovery time from your injury increasing.

 

Optimising Injury Healing – Sleep

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Sleep is one of the most important elements of injury prevention and healing.  Benefits of sleep include:

 

  • Improved reaction times
  • Decreased injury rates
  • Longer playing careers
  • Improved weight management
  • Decreased injury risk
  • Increased accuracy and sprint times
  • Improved mental acuity
  • Fewer mental errors
  • Improved cognitive function (attention and memory)

 

How does sleep affect injury healing?

 

  1. It directly impacts your immune system

A healthy, strong immune system is crucial to all types of healing. Without a strong immune system, you cannot properly create healthy tissue, fight infections and stay on the path to a successful recovery.  When you do not get enough sleep during the wound healing process, your immune system can become depleted, raising your risk of elongating healing time and developing infections.

 

  1. It slows down tissue growth

Of course, for wounds to heal successfully, healthy tissue growth is key. When does this essential growth happen? While you sleep. The growth and repair of tissue occurs in the third and fourth stages of sleep, which happen after you have completed about 70 percent of your rest. This means that getting a full, uninterrupted night’s sleep is crucial – a few naps here and there will not cut it.

 

  1. It can trigger and exacerbate coronary issues 

Sleep deprivation can have an adverse effect on the heart health. Because coronary function affects your overall well-being, this is yet another reason to prioritize your rest. Health Line noted that heart disease can be a root cause of poor circulation, which can delay or interfere with the healing process.

 

  1. It can compromise healthy eating habits 

When you are constantly tired, your body is seeking ways to create more energy. This can lead to cravings for sugary, fatty foods that are not good for your body, and that may further delay the healing process.  People who do not get enough sleep are also more likely to consume bigger portions, which can lead to unwanted weight gain.

 

How many hours a night do I need?

 

  • School age children (6 – 13 years): 9 – 11 hours
  • Teenagers (14 – 17 years): 8 – 10 hours
  • Adults (18 – 64 years): 7 – 9 hours
  • Older adults (65+ years): 7 – 8 years

Sleep tips:

How much sleep do YOU need?

  • Are you productive, healthy and happy on seven hours of sleep?
  • Or does it take you nine hours of quality ZZZs to get you into high gear?
  • Do you have health issues such as being overweight?
  • Are you at risk for any disease?
  • Are you experiencing sleep problems?
  • Do you depend on caffeine to get you through the day?
  • Do you feel sleepy when driving?

Did you know?

The amount of sleep you need on a regular basis for optimal performance is called your basal sleep need.

The accumulated sleep that’s lost from poor sleep habits, sickness, waking up in the night and other causes is known as your sleep debt.

An imbalance of the two leads to an unresolved sleep debt, which can lead to increased sleepiness and less alertness.  One or two good nights of sleep may not be enough to settle your unresolved sleep debt, so it is important to get consistent nights of decent sleep in order to make up for this.

https://www.advancedtissue.com/sleep-deprivation-negatively-impacts-wound-healinghow-sleep-deprivation-negatively-impacts-wound-healing/

Optimising Injury Healing – Hydration

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Keep yourself hydrated for optimal recovery from your injury.

We are essentially 60-70% water and this water is vital for everything from boosting your brain power; improving your skin; to assisting in your body’s defence when injured.

When dealing with an injury, hydration is an essential part of the healing process. In a dehydrated state, our body will pull water from our skin and muscles to protect our organs.

Without proper hydration, your skin and muscles will not receive the proper oxygen and nutrients it needs in order to heal.  There are three stages of tissue repair; inflammation, proliferation and remodelling following injury. In each stage, water is a primary catalyst to help move from one stage to the next. Water is used as a vessel to supply the required chemicals, nutrients and oxygen required for healing.

Dehydration can lead to:

Cramps – your body needs both water and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride) to support normal muscle contractions. When you sweat heavily during workouts, you lose both, which causes cramps.

Cartilage wear – water and electrolytes are essential in delivering nutrients that help cartilage repair itself when it’s injured. If you stop drinking water, the wear and tear on your cartilage (especially your knees) outpaces the body’s ability to generate new cells. Injuries like cartilage tears and meniscus tears can result.

Friction in the joints – cartilage is made of collagen, proteins, cells, synovial fluid, and water — up to 80% water. This water and synovial fluid cushions your bones when they bear weight or pressure. The meniscus, for example, pads your knee joint and allows the leg bones to move smoothly past one another without grinding. Dehydration can deprive your cartilage of the water it needs to maintain this cushion, which can lead to achy or “creaking” joints and osteoarthritis (OA).

We all need to stay hydrated to stay healthy. But if you’re active or athletic, hydration is even more important because you’re losing water to sweat. If you hope to avoid injury, replacing water and electrolytes needs to be a pillar of your sports training routine.

WATER AND EXERCISE

If you exercise vigorously you should drink a glass of water before starting, and then have half a glass every 15 minutes. This will prevent dehydration and improve performance.

HYDRATING DRINKS

The best drink for avoiding dehydration is water. Water is a sugar-free, calorie-free nutrient and is optimal for good health. If you don’t like the taste of tap or bottled water, you can make your own “spa water” at home by adding lemon, cucumber, or mint for flavour. You can also flavour water with slices of fresh fruit like apples, orange, or grapefruit.

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