By Casey Goguts, MS, LAT, ATC

World Cup Soccer players execute technical running, passing, and dribbling repeatedly throughout a 90+ minute match. These repetitive movements can add up to massive musculoskeletal strain. An industrial athlete’s “match” is an 8+ hour shift. Throughout one shift an industrial athlete will stand for a long duration and repetitively reach, grip, and/or lift. To prevent long term injury wear and tear, let’s think about muscles from the cellular level.

Bounce Back Effect

Think of your muscles like a rubber band. You can stretch the rubber band and let go and it will return to its original size, but if you continuously overstretch the rubber band it will become loose and weak. The rubber band will begin to have microscopic cracks or microtrauma. Repetitive movements from everyday work can lead to microtrauma. The good news is that microtrauma is not an injury yet! Your muscles are most likely tired from a hard day’s work. Unlike a rubber band, your body is able to repair itself. This is known as muscle protein synthesis. How does it do this? Amino acids!

They Amino Lot!

Amino acids are the building blocks for your muscles. There are 9 essential amino acids that our body requires and cannot produce on its own. Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) are the key players in muscle health. The BCAAs are lucine, isoleucine, and valine. Lucine is like an alarm, it tells your body to start repairing the muscle. Isoleucine and valine are the raw material for rebuilding the muscle.

While there are a plethora of protein powders and supplements on the market, it’s best to consume amino acids naturally. Essential amino acids are found in complete proteins including: beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, soy, quinoa, red lentils, peanuts, and buckwheat.

A Burning Issue

Without amino acids, there is a higher risk for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). DOMS shouldn’t be confused with the sudden discomfort of an immediate injury. DOMS is an acute muscle soreness that can feel like a tight or burning sensation. World Cup athletes face DOMS 12-24 hours after an intense match. Industrial athletes face it when they move to a different job station or there’s an increase in intensity, such as when working overtime.

Food For Thought

For an industrial athlete, the big takeaway is muscle recovery relies heavily on your nutrition. Going into a shift without proper fuel forces your muscles to break down at a quicker rate. Providing your muscles with the adequate amount of protein before or after a long shift can help them recover and avoid DOMS.

Dominate your match by fueling your recovery. Here are a few tangible ways to add amino acids into your day-to-day routine. And check-out the sample recipes linked into the tips for some inspiration!

• eat breakfast (eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, or turkey sausage) rather than skipping it!
• pack trail mix as a snack (minus the candy)
• drink a glass of cow or soy milk with a meal
• switch your side of rice with quinoa or buckwheat
• add beans to a soup, salad, or taco night meal

Casey Goguts, MS, LAT, ATC || Casey earned her undergraduate degree in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of South Carolina Upstate and her Master’s of Science in Athletic Training from Florida International University. Her early career included experience in independent professional baseball and collegiate athletics, which led her to transition to the industrial setting. A former high-level athlete, Casey competed at the NCAA Division I level for four years and as a member of the US U17 Softball team, where she won a gold medal. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling (with a goal of visiting all 50 states), and attending baseball games.

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Be sure to check out our other blogs for further injury prevention education and tips for the industrial athlete from Work Right!