When to use this
As soon as surgery is scheduled — the food plan works best when it is set before the procedure, not after.
- A family prepping the fridge for the first week home.
- Low appetite and pain medication making normal meals hard in the first 72 hours.
- An athlete weeks past surgery whose intake slid back before rehab finished.
Advanced lab
The pre-op to post-op food protocol
The sheet covers the phases. The structure that makes the first weeks work — targets, textures, and the constipation plan — is here.
Every surgical case comes with its own medical instructions — the treating surgeon's guidance overrides anything here, and a sports dietitian should individualize the plan for a long rehab.
Evidence sources
These references support the handout’s general education. Individual medical, supplement, laboratory, or injury questions should be handled by the appropriate qualified clinician.
- Tipton KD. Nutritional support for exercise-induced injuries. Sports Med. 2015.
- Close GL, Sale C, Baar K, Bermon S. Nutrition for the prevention and treatment of injuries in track and field athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2019.
Where to go next
