If you’re involved in athletics, particularly contact sports, you need to know this protocol to speed up and reduce concussion symptoms. To better understand a concussion click here. For evidence that shows a strong correlation between concussions and CTE click here. I’ll share the recovery protocol I recommend my athletes take in the event of a concussion:
Concussion Recovery Protocol
Note, this is stuff you should be doing on a daily basis but holds especially true in the first 4 days post concussion
- Creatine
- Magnesium
- Fish oil
- Avoid blue light/overstimulation
Creatine
- When a concussion occurs, there is a metabolic crisis leading to a shortage of ATP.
- Creatine helps to increase ATP stores which your brain needs to heal
- 5g daily if under 200lbs, 10g daily if over
- For a good creatine option click here
Magnesium
- Magnesium is also depleted in the body for 4 days. This mineral assists with motor function and coordination
- I start athletes on 600mg of magnesium glycinate and titrate up based on tolerance
- This is a quality brand here for a fair price
Fish Oil
- After a concussion, DHA is reduced in the body which slows recovery
- I start athletes on 5g total Omega-3
- Some data suggests even higher doses (15g) may be effective
- For one of the best fish oil supplements out there, click here
Blue Light Avoidance
- Blue light suppresses energy metabolism which slows concussion healing. I have athletes avoid screen time as much as possible in this initial stage
- If they insist on screen time, I suggest they use these blue light blocking lenses
- I suggest they read from a paperback book as data suggests this low level stimulation can assist with healing
And there you have it. Simple protocol but it provides the brain with what it needs to recover optimally