Player Nutrition & Injuries

[3balls2strikes]

The mystery surrounding the constant accumulation of injured Twins' players doesn't get enough attention. Year after year the injuries pile up despite a determined effort by the Twins' executives to rest players and restrict their workloads. Today's Twins' players are some of the most pampered athletes in sports history, yet the injuries continue to mount. Something beyond simple bad luck must be happening. 

Perhaps nutrition is being neglected? I'm 57 now, when I was 37 my knees and left shoulder hurt so bad I couldn't sleep. I was ready for replacement surgery just to end the pain. Then one day I searched for alternative solutions on the Internet and discovered the world of nutritional supplements. I started taking 100% natural supplements like methylsulfonylmethane, hyaluronic acid, collagen, magnesium, etc. to supply my body with what it needed to heal and remain healthy. It worked within a month! Still today, 20 years after I was in joint pain agony, I'm pain free and can work circles around guys much younger. I simply give my body the nutrition it needs to repair itself & remain strong. 

Medical schools spend very little time teaching nutrition to medical students (it's bad for business) and therefore medical professionals spend very little time talking about nutrition with patients. Of course, short cuts of performance enhancing drugs have been used, but that's a different beast and has nothing to do with nutrition.

Is it possible that an athlete like Byron Buxton simply has a body that is grossly nutritionally deficient? The result would be constant injuries and an inability to fully heal because the body isn't given what it needs to repair itself & remain strong. I don't know what the Twins do, if anything, to provide enhanced nutrition to their players, but I've never seen nor heard it mentioned in any media. Based on the frequency of injured players, perhaps nutrition is an area where the Twins' could improve. 

[3balls2strikes]

Article on benefits of methylsulfonylmethane for athletes: 

 https://www.thepumpingstation.com/msm-benefits.html

[a-wan]

Every reference on that page is 20 years old.

[old nurse]

If there is belief it will help then take them. After the last couple years it is like whatever.  Basically there is just enough studies done to give the manufacturer something to pitch their product

[Trov]

I would agree that we seem to have a high number of injuries, but it is entirely possible guys years ago where playing through some of these issues, but this team would rather us the IL and bring up someone else than use a guy battling an injury.  

I would also assume they are using many different aspects to help.  People need to remember that these guys are doing things only a few percent of humans do.  Unlike the weekend warrior, these guys do it day in and day out at the highest level possible being asked to do things that few can.  Injuries will happen.  Maybe, we are quick to move them to the IL or maybe there are more injuries than before, or maybe the players are more willing to disclose the little issues.  

Take Larnach for instance.  He clearly was not hitting as well as he was.  We say he is in a slump.  Now we find out what may have led to that slump is his core muscle was off.  Back in the day guys would normally play through it and maybe have poor numbers only to find out they were playing with an injury all year. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I can't speak to the specifics of how the Twins manage their players' health but unfortunately, all that rest and caution has resulted in very few success stories, Chris Archer being the only really shining example I can think of off-hand.

I understand the desire to keep guys rested to improve their chances of good late-season performance but it hasn't seemed to make a dent in the overall health of the roster one bit.

[Doctor Gast]

I'm with you 3balls2strikes , I've taken these supplements and I can attest that they've help my joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments etc. Nutruition IMO is a big problem today.

[Trov]

5 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I can't speak to the specifics of how the Twins manage their players' health but unfortunately, all that rest and caution has resulted in very few success stories, Chris Archer being the only really shining example I can think of off-hand.

I understand the desire to keep guys rested to improve their chances of good late-season performance but it hasn't seemed to make a dent in the overall health of the roster one bit.

I think it depends on how you measure overall health.  For example, if a player has a 2 week stint on IL, is that a huge deal?  If that 2 weeks help prevent a 2 month stint?  We do not know how many longer term injuries are being prevented with the rest and shorter IL stints.  No matter the path some will have longer injuries, but unless they scrap the resting method, we will not know which is the better path, and never will know if we went with the reverse if that was the better option. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

22 minutes ago, Trov said:

I think it depends on how you measure overall health.  For example, if a player has a 2 week stint on IL, is that a huge deal?  If that 2 weeks help prevent a 2 month stint?  We do not know how many longer term injuries are being prevented with the rest and shorter IL stints.  No matter the path some will have longer injuries, but unless they scrap the resting method, we will not know which is the better path, and never will know if we went with the reverse if that was the better option. 

All very true. The underlying numbers may tell a slightly different story but it sure is hard to see the difference from where I'm sitting.

[Craig Arko]

It’s probably the peanut butter and lutefisk sandwiches they serve.

[chpettit19]

I can promise you nutrition is something the team invests in. They have team chefs that will prepare whatever the players want. They have highly trained nutritionists. They have highly trained physical therapists and trainers. They have highly trained doctors. The question is which players do what. The team can't force players to take any supplements or eat certain foods. All they can do is teach them and give them options. 

Kate Moran I believe is still the team nutritionist/dietitian. She at least used to rove and provide nutritional lessons to minor leaguers as well.
Kurt Chenier is the executive chef.
Michael Salazar is the head athletic trainer.
Ian Kadish is the director of strength and conditioning.
Masamichi Abe and Matt Biancuzzo are assistant trainers.
The have multiple people as minor league medical coordinators, trainers, rehab specialists, and strength and conditioning coordinators.

They're paying a lot of really, really smart people to figure out the best practices. Sometimes injuries happen. Sometimes a lot of them happen to the same team. There's not always someone to blame. Some guys just get hurt.

[a-wan]

On 6/27/2022 at 4:37 PM, chpettit19 said:

...There's not always someone to blame. Some guys just get hurt.

*Cough* Baldelli. *Cough*

[se7799]

On 6/27/2022 at 5:37 PM, chpettit19 said:

I can promise you nutrition is something the team invests in. They have team chefs that will prepare whatever the players want. They have highly trained nutritionists. They have highly trained physical therapists and trainers. They have highly trained doctors. The question is which players do what. The team can't force players to take any supplements or eat certain foods. All they can do is teach them and give them options. 

Kate Moran I believe is still the team nutritionist/dietitian. She at least used to rove and provide nutritional lessons to minor leaguers as well.
Kurt Chenier is the executive chef.
Michael Salazar is the head athletic trainer.
Ian Kadish is the director of strength and conditioning.
Masamichi Abe and Matt Biancuzzo are assistant trainers.
The have multiple people as minor league medical coordinators, trainers, rehab specialists, and strength and conditioning coordinators.

They're paying a lot of really, really smart people to figure out the best practices. Sometimes injuries happen. Sometimes a lot of them happen to the same team. There's not always someone to blame. Some guys just get hurt.

Great insight.