Post-surgery nutrition and training

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hey BBM,

I’m having rotator cuff surgery on a long-term shoulder injury which i’ve made a couple of posts about already in the past year (I’m not going to get into the details, I just have some general questions about what to do post-surgery and in the long term). Just to give a general time-line - i’m supposed to be in a sling for about 3 weeks, and I was told that full recovery will be around 3 months, though it could be more.

  1. What should my nutrition look like post-surgery during the time that i’m going to be limited with my training ability? I’ve been on a slow bulk for past couple of years and i’m now around 82 kg @ ~19%bf and my height is ~180 cm, so I don’t mind losing some bodyfat, though i’d like to maintain as much muscle-mass as possible during this period.

  2. Given the surgery goes well and the post-surgery rehab goes well, would you have any concerns about me (being 22 years old if it matters) being able to bench with the aim of powerlifting in the long-term? Basically, i’m asking if I would be at an increased risk of reinjury in the future due to this surgery? If so, would it be best to avoid bench-press altogether and look for less taxing chest exercises such as a machine chest-press and dumbbell bench presses, or to potentially look at modifying my technique (potentially to a close-ish grip bench press, in order to put less stress on the shoulder)?

  3. Would you recommend one-armed exercises with only my left hand during those 3 months of rehabbing post-surgery, or would that create imbalances? (i’ll note that i’m right-handed so my right side is natrually a bit stronger and bigger)

  4. Other than exercies such as leg press, leg extensions, calve raises (and potentially one-armed exercises), is there a good way to maintain as much muscle-mass and strength as possible, especially in the SBD lifts?

Thanks in advance!

2

Ben,

Thanks for the post. I’ll get right to your questions:

  1. I would not make any changes to nutrition based on having surgery (or not). If you’d like to lose weight, that’s fine. If you’d like to maintain, that’s also fine. I think keeping protein intake relatively high and training the rest of your body would be sufficient to preserve lean body mass.

  2. I have zero concerns about participating in powerlifting in the future.

  3. Absolutely. I would train the rest of your body as “normally” as possible. There’s some crosstalk on an immobilized limb from training the other limb and rest of the body. I’d take advantage of that. You’re immobilized side is going to be weaker even if you don’t train the other side. I don’t see any advantage to not training.

  4. You can SSB, do lunges, step ups, DB RDL’s and SLDL, nordic hamstring curls, hip thrusts (on a machine), belt squats, sled drags (with waist harness), and so on. I would not be focusing on SBD in this setting, but would definitely be training squat, bench, row, and hinge patterns.

Best of luck with the procedure. You’ll be back in no time!

-Jordan

1 Like
3

Thanks Jordan, appreciate the advice!

4

Hey BBM,

Im a relatively fit (at least I like to think so) 71 year-old guy.
I still run 7k everyday and do resistance exercise 5 days a week.

I have been having pain in my hip for years now and my family doc thinks its time for a hip replacement.
I’ve been doing some research on nutrition for surgery.

I found a bunch of products on the market…most of which seem like overpriced whey powder.
I did find one product which seems very promising called Proven Recovery (www.proventherapeutics.com). Looks it was made by 2 Canadian surgeons that did a ton of research on the topic. The list of components seems really legit and they are all backed up by studies.

Can you give me your thoughts on it?
I’ve already ordered a course for me and my wife who is having her rotator cuff fixed.

Thanks.

5

Fit-Old-Guy,

Great username :slight_smile: Post op nutrition is certainly important. However, active, well nourished, otherwise healthy people are typically not at risk for complications post-op due to poor nutrition as long as they can eat. Supplements can be helpful for those with difficulty eating and/or those who have dietary patterns that are incomplete.

I cannot comment on the utility of this particular supplement because they do not list what’s in it (red flag #1). It is clear that there’s protein in it as well as omega 3-fatty acids, but no listing the amounts or sources (red flag #2). It’s also wildly expensive at 350.00 (red flag #3) for a 10-day supply. I can assure you, as someone who owns a supplement company, there is nothing I could put in a supplement that would cost that much. They also make claims regarding being supported by evidence, yet cite no evidence showing benefit (red flag #4), and they have no reviews (red flag #5), and do not appear to be 3rd party tested (red flag #6), among other concerns.

I cannot say whether this supplement is safe, much less effective. I would not personally recommend it, but if the ingredients end up being “fine”, it could be used as nutritional support. I just don’t know what’s in there yet.

Best of luck with the surgery. We’re here if you need us post op!

-Jordan