Stronger, Sooner: The Nutrition Strategy That Supercharges ACL Rehab
- Proview Sports
- Dec 2, 2025
- 4 min read
Recovering from ACL surgery isn’t just about exercises, range of motion, or quad strength — what you eat in the first 12 weeks can make a huge difference to your progress.
At Proview Sports, we see athletes who nail early nutrition recover faster, maintain strength, and feel more confident in rehab. Our team of ACL Specialists, supporting you either in our Cheltenham Clinic or our Online ACL Rehab Program, insure the right nutrition fuels everything you do.
This guide breaks down what really matters — practical, athlete-focused, and easy to implement.
Why Nutrition Matters in Early ACL Rehab
The first 12 weeks after ACL surgery are all about healing, protecting your graft, and getting your quads firing again. Your body is under stress even if you’re not lifting or sprinting.
Good nutrition helps you:
Control swelling
Maintain lean muscle
Restore range of motion
Re-engage the quad
Support graft and tendon healing
Think of it as giving your rehab exercises the raw materials they need to work — without the right fuel, progress slows, swelling persists, and frustration grows.
1. Fuel the Fix: Why a Calorie Surplus Matters
Most athletes naturally eat less after surgery because training drops — but your body is actually burning more energy repairing tissue, fighting inflammation, and keeping joints healthy.
A slight calorie surplus (~200–300 kcal/day above maintenance) ensures your body has enough fuel for healing without adding fat.
Why it matters:
Maintains muscle mass when you can’t train as hard
Supports tissue repair and graft healing
Reduces fatigue during early rehab exercises
Improves your ability to fire the quads and glutes
Simple tip: track your intake for a few days, then add a handful of nuts, an extra egg, or a protein shake to reach the surplus.
2. Protein: Protect Your Quad
Protein is the building block of muscles, ligaments, tendons, and connective tissue. Early ACL rehab is all about keeping your quads active, and protein is essential for that.
Target: 1.6–2.2 g per kg of bodyweight per day, split evenly across meals.
Practical examples:
Breakfast: eggs or Greek yoghurt
Lunch: chicken, tuna or tofu
Snack: protein shake or cottage cheese
Dinner: fish, lean meat, lentils, or chickpeas
Why it works: even if you’re doing less exercise, protein prevents atrophy, supports graft healing, and helps your quads fire effectively when rehab starts loading.
3. Creatine Boost: Keep Strength During Low Loading
Creatine isn’t just for lifting heavy weights. After ACL surgery, your leg isn’t moving as much, and muscle strength can drop fast. Creatine helps maintain lean mass and energy availability for the exercises you can do.
How it helps in rehab:
Preserves muscle while your leg is underloaded
Boosts early strength gains
Helps your quads and glutes fire efficiently
Supports energy for physiotherapy or online coaching sessions
Dose: 3–5 g/day, any time. No loading required. Simple and effective.
4. Collagen + Vitamin C: Rebuild Ligaments & Tendons
Your ACL graft and surrounding soft tissues rely on collagen for strength. Supplementing at the right time can help accelerate tissue repair.
Timing is key: take 15 g collagen + 50–100 mg vitamin C about 60 minutes before your rehab session.
Benefits:
Supports ligament and tendon repair
Reduces risk of scar tissue stiffness
Enhances early loading tolerance
Complements the work your physiotherapist or sports therapist does
This is especially useful before exercises that activate the quads or involve gentle knee loading.
5. Omega-3 Advantage: Calm Excess Swelling
Inflammation is a normal part of healing, but too much can slow recovery. Omega-3 fatty acids help regulate inflammation naturally, without blocking the body’s repair process.
How it helps:
Reduces swelling and stiffness
Supports tendon and ligament health
Aids joint mobility
May improve mood and sleep, both critical in recovery
Sources: oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) or high-quality EPA/DHA supplements (~2 g/day).
6. Hydrate to Activate: Quads and Joints Need Water
Hydration often gets overlooked in early ACL rehab because you’re not sweating as much. But proper hydration affects:
Swelling reduction
Joint lubrication
Tissue oxygenation
Muscle activation, especially quads
Tip: aim for 2.5–3 L/day. Electrolytes help if swelling or inflammation is high or if you’re using cryo-compression regularly.
7. Carbs for Comeback: Fuel Early Rehab
Carbohydrates are critical to give your body energy for muscle activation during exercises. Post-surgery, your energy demands are higher than you think.
Benefits:
Supports quad and glute activation
Powers early strength exercises
Maintains mental focus and mood
Aids tissue repair
Opt for wholegrains, fruit, potatoes, oats, and starchy vegetables — not just sugar-heavy snacks.
Expert Support for Your First 12 Weeks Post-Op
The early stage of ACL rehab is where good decisions have the biggest impact on your timeline, keeping you off the rehab rollercoaster, rebuild your confidence, and your return-to-sport success. If youre looking for support, structure and guidance within the early stages of your rehab, heres how we can help:
World-class programming, 24/7 support, check-ins, video feedback, and direct access to specialists — ideal for athletes who want structure and accountability from anywhere.
Our sports injury clinic provides early post-operative support, gym-based rehab, and biomechanically-led progression tailored to athletes.
A powerful tool for managing early swelling and pain after surgery — especially useful during the first 2–6 weeks.
Soft tissue work, manual therapy, scar mobility, lymphatic techniques, and pain-modulating treatments that support early healing. Check out our Blog on Muscle Adhesion and impact on joint function > Fascial Adhesion After ACL Surgery: Why It Happens and How to Treat It Safely During Rehab
Pop in to utilise our state of the art testing kit, including force plates and force frames to have data inform your rehab for safe and optimal progression
If you're starting your ACL journey and want expert guidance — this is the stage where it’s truly worth getting it right.
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