5 Ways Athletes Can Benefit from IV Therapy

1. Hydration

Hydrations is key for any athlete’s success; it’s important to hydrate before, during and after exercise, races or any other athletic competition. Although the effects of IV hydration and oral hydration are similar, IV hydration can speed up the recovery process and possibly help you gain an added edge in your training and competition programs. Hydration is an important component of recovery for athletes. It not only replenishes the body of fluids lost during activity, it also speeds up muscle recovery time and allows a quicker turn-around for athletes.

2. Shorten time for muscle recovery

The faster an athlete can rehydrate, the better. Dehydration causes muscle recovery delay and can lead to severe cramping, weakness and heightened heartbeat – all of which affect athletic performance. Extended or chronic dehydration could lead to more severe issues such as poor kidney function and muscle damage. IV therapy is beneficial not only for rehydration, but for the supplements that can be included with an infusion. Additives used to speed up muscle recovery in infusion include:

• Dextrose: replaces glycogen stores that muscles need for fuel and helps with rebuilding proteins

• Amino acids: serve as the building blocks to strengthen muscles

• Magnesium: helps reduce muscle cramping

3. Absorption of nutrients

One of the many benefits of IV therapy is the amount of nutrients absorbed by the body. When taking oral supplements, only 40-50 percent of nutrients are absorbed; when given intravenously, 100 percent of nutrients are absorbed by the body. Replenishing your body with fluids and nutrients is important for recovery as blood flow to the stomach is delayed during hard workouts or competition. This delay in blood flow disrupts the absorption of vital nutrients, making it difficult for the body to recover.

4. Stave off “leaky gut”

Intestinal hyper-permeability (or “leaky gut” syndrome) is an issue for many athletes, though they may not realize it. Leaky gut can be caused by over-training, toxic food ingestion (foods that are highly processed or contain pesticides), chronic stress or intestinal bacterial imbalance. These factors disrupt the thin lining of the intestines and allow undigested food to leak out and encounter the immune system. Our immune system sees these food substances as foreign particles and tries to remove them. This process of immune stimulation is similar to an allergic reaction and can cause bloating, malabsorption and inflammation throughout the body. Many athletes will take ibuprofen or similar anti-inflamatories hoping to ease the aches and pains caused by this reaction, but these medications further disrupt the lining of the intestines and can worsen the problem. When the gut is inflamed, it cannot absorb vital nutrients such as B-12 and iron, leaving the athlete even more fatigued and depleted.

5. Boost energy levels

IV treatments not only distribute vitamins and nutrients, replenish hydration levels and speed up muscle recovery, they can also deliver an energy boost. This is especially beneficial to long-distance runners or people who exercise early in the morning. Infusions can be scheduled for times that work best for you and in doses that will absorb more quickly depending on what you need. For example, our 15 Minute Vitamin Fix infusion restores hydration, replenishes vitamins and delivers and energy boost – all in 15 minutes.

We offer several infusions aimed at benefitting athletes like our Mini Recharge, Mood Lifter + Endurance Boost and our 15 Minute Vitamin Fix. We can also mix a custom infusion to address the specific needs of your body.

Call us today to discuss how our treatments can help you on your road to athletic success!