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Making Friends with your Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)

Written by Valeria Fazio

Anyone that’s ever experienced a partial or complete tear of their ACL shares a common understanding of a very specific pain and the road to recovery (not to mention a unique hatred for any popping sounds!) I count my blessings that I can still endure bubble wrap.

I do, however, have friends and a sister that have experienced a dreaded ACL tear.
When my sister told me that she tore her ACL playing soccer, I imagined a dirty slide tackle, a brutal collision, or an awkward stumble. So when she told me what happened, I was in shock.

“I don’t even have a good story,” she paused, as she looked at her knee. “I turned left.”

“Hmm,” I thought to myself. Immediately I blamed poor nutrition and a half-assed warm-up. However, further investigation said I was jumping to conclusions. The scariest fact surrounding ACL injuries is that they can happen to anyone, without notice. Moreover they are the most common injury among conditioned athletes.

Scary Fact Number 2: Research shows females are far more prone to experiencing ACL injuries than men.

With these two facts in mind, I decided to look a little deeper into the ACL topic hoping to find some preventive measures that would allow me to turn left fearlessly.

First, what is ACL? To be exact, it is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. It originates deep within the indentation of the distal femur (thigh). It includes two bundles of fibers – anteromedial and posterolateral. They attach at the front of the intercondyloid eminence of the tibia (shin), and with the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus. In layman’s terms, the ACL connects the femur to the tibia and prevents the knee from caving in (or outwards) when it is in motion.

Although it is unknown why this injury is more frequent in women, many researchers believe it is strongly due to a difference in anatomy (i.e. centers of gravity) and muscle functions.

ACL injuries can be either due to contact (blows to the side of the knee) or non-contact (a quick stop followed by a pivot).

Be You ACL’s Best Friend

To keep your knees mobile and injury-free, begin by incorporating proper techniques when playing sports or exercising. Practice proper landing and jumping techniques with your weight evenly distributed, so you can take advantage of the elasticity of the muscles and ligaments.

Refocus your training on supporting muscles like your hamstrings (that are TOO often ignored). This will even out any muscular imbalances in your legs that lead to weak ligaments and tendons. Making an honest effort to improve flexibility in your hamstrings and quadriceps can also prove beneficial in avoiding ACL injuries.

Feed Your Body

As females are more likely to experience tears in their ACLs, supplementation as a preventive measure is imperative. ALLMAX Nutrition's ISOFemme Protein Smoothie is designed to keep the female body moving through intense training and provides sufficient protein to the muscles to aid in recovery. This high quality whey protein isolate ensures your muscles are strong enough to experience even the sharpest left turn.

Far beyond the gender card, however, athletes who train intensely are more likely to experience ligament and tendon injuries. Heavy lifting, distance running, and HIIT sprints all create substantial strain on joints that can lead to numerous joint injuries. To help prevent debilitating injuries, ALLMAX Nutrition’s Advanced ALLFLEX offers a superior joint support that acts to restore worn and torn ligaments and tendons.

Advanced ALLFLEX works to restore joint mobility with the inclusion of MSM, a natural sulphur compound found in fruit, vegetables, fish, milk and grains. It has also been found to relieve pain and stiffness, while reducing swelling and inflammation. ALLFLEX also includes two other superior anti-inflammatory agents – glucosamine and chondroitin – that have been proven to reduce joint and increase joint range of motion.

ALLFLEX includes vitamin E (di-Alpha Tocopherol), a potent antioxidant that improves circulation and aids in the process of tissue repair. It has also been shown to provide athletic support by relaxing cramps, while maintaining healthy nerves and muscles.

Although I wish to learn much more about how to treat a torn ACL, I wish to remain a spectator to the injury. But since I cannot avoid a fluke accident, or swift kick in the ass from karma, ALLMAX Nutrition is helping keep my joints healthy with Advanced ALLFLEX and my hamstrings strong with ISOFLEX Protein.

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Valeria, a recent graduate of Carleton University, is a part time personal trainer as well as an amateur fitness competitor. Her favorite kind of training is HIIT. Currently studying Professional Writing in college, Valeria enjoys weighttraining, competing in fitness shows, snowboarding, and soccer. Valeria regularly consumes ALLMAX ISOFLEX and Glutamine to help with muscle recovery after her workouts.

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