There are many ways in which IV therapy for athletic performance is beneficial. Achieving peak performance levels is a regular part of athletes’ lives, whether it means competing in challenging matches, participating in endurance activities such as marathons, exercising at the gym, or training at home. Athletes can lose fluids and minerals through sweating and experience sore, aching muscles during the recovery phase after intense workout sessions. As a result, athletes often look for ways to maintain optimal performance and care for their bodies before and after sports events or workouts. In recent years, IV therapy has grown in popularity, and IV fluids are used to rehydrate quickly between training sessions and kickstart recovery after demanding athletic events.
ReNew Asheville offers mobile IV therapy for athletic recovery, so you can receive the IV fluids you want wherever is most convenient in Asheville, NC. Our experienced and knowledgeable specialists can administer an IV at your home or even at the gym, field, pool, or track where you regularly train. Continue reading to learn more about this beneficial service.
What is IV Therapy?
Injecting vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes directly into the bloodstream is a method of IV therapy used to enhance athletic performance and speed up post-workout recovery. Because nutrients are administered intravenously rather than orally, the digestive system is bypassed, resulting in faster and more effective delivery. Professional athletes can benefit the most from IV therapy since they typically engage in intensive physical activities. Therefore, they require constant hydration and nutrition.
How Long Does an IV Drip Therapy Session Take?
Your session should last from 45 to 60 minutes. During the infusion process, you can relax and enjoy some time to yourself as the fluids and vitamins are directly injected into your bloodstream. After your treatment is finished, your specialist will remove the IV line, and you can go about your day.
Is IV Therapy for Athletic Performance Healthy and Safe?
Infusions are an established medical procedure used in hospitals to correct nutritional deficiencies that contribute to dehydration and other health issues. Specialists who provide IV drips for athletes have modified traditional procedures to include ingredients that support athletic performance. The procedure is considered generally safe, although minor side effects such as bruising and slight dizziness are common.
It is always important to check the sports institution’s policy before competing to make sure you play by the rules. IV therapy for healthy athletes is sometimes not allowed because it may help mask the use of banned substances.
Can I Exercise After My IV Therapy Session?
You can still work out after IV therapy as long as you don’t experience lightheadedness, nausea, or any rare side effects such as infection at the injection site. Many athletes schedule the treatment prior to an athletic event to enhance their energy levels and ensure optimum performance.
Benefits of IV Therapy for Athletic Performance
Athletes who receive IV therapy regularly claim that it supports their health and athletic performance, and provides the following benefits:
Hydration
Before, during, and after workouts or athletic competitions, athletes must stay hydrated. While IV Hydration and Oral Hydration may have similar effects, IV Hydration may give you an advantage during training and competitions by speeding up your recovery process. A properly hydrated athlete has a better chance of recovering than one who is dehydrated. IV therapy accomplishes this by rapidly replacing fluids lost primarily through perspiration. It also helps muscles to recover more quickly and allows athletes to make faster turnarounds.
Nutrient Absorption
There is no doubt that the most beneficial aspect of IV therapy is that you absorb a lot of nutrients. When you take oral supplements, only about 40-59% is absorbed. However, when you take them intravenously, your body absorbs them all. Your body must be replenished with nutrients and fluids constantly to sustain blood flow to the stomach while performing strenuous exercises or competitions. If blood flow is interrupted, the body may have difficulties absorbing key nutrients, which may hamper its recovery.
Muscle Recovery
Athletes must rehydrate as fast as possible to avoid muscle damage and other issues that may affect their performance. Severe cramping, increased heartbeats, and muscle weakness are all potential consequences of dehydration that athletes should avoid. If an athlete is dangerously dehydrated for too long, it may result in serious health problems, such as muscle damage and kidney issues.
Gastrointestinal Health
Intestinal hyper-permeability, a case of which is known as “leaky gut,” is an extremely common problem among athletes, whether or not they are aware of it. Ingestion of toxic foods, a bacterial imbalance in the intestines, chronic stress, or over-training usually results in intestinal hyper-permeability. When the intestinal lining is breached, undigested food substances leak out, resulting in immune system contamination. The immune system, which is programmed to eliminate foreign particles, recognizes these food substances and foreign particles as foreign and therefore targets them.
Many athletes make the error of using ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory drugs to ease the aches and pains caused by this condition. In fact, this only further damages the lining, worsening the situation. When one’s gut is inflamed, it is unable to absorb critical nutrients like iron and B-12, resulting in increased fatigue and exhaustion.
Energy
Long-distance runners or those who enjoy a vigorous morning walk can benefit enormously from IV therapy. An athlete on IV therapy has a lot more energy available to use than one on oral supplements, which may be the difference between a loss or a win. Restoring vitamins, hydrating, and providing energy are just one of the many benefits of IV therapy. It is important to state that there are certain IV treatments specifically designed to boost athletic recovery. Because of this, athletes should use the appropriate IV therapy treatment.
IV Therapy Pre-Performance
Pre-workout IV treatments can help you fight fatigue for a longer period of time by boosting your energy levels. Vitamin B12 can help you convert fat and protein into energy more efficiently, so you can get a competitive edge by receiving an all-natural energy boost. With a unique combination of vitamins and nutrients, IV therapy can help you reach new heights anytime you’re on the field, court, track, or at the gym.
IV Therapy Post-Performance
Whether you’re a novice athlete or about to compete, IV therapy isn’t restricted to pre-competition training. You can receive IV treatments to accelerate rehydration after an athletic performance and jump-start your recovery. Post-performance IV therapy helps to reduce inflammation, rehydrates, restores fluids and electrolytes, and reduces muscle soreness.
Furthermore, IV therapy is an excellent adjunct to physical therapy because it promotes healthy muscle and cell regeneration so that you can fully recover and prepare for your next competition immediately.
Are There Side Effects of IV Therapy?
You may experience some bruising, discomfort, itching, inflammation, or redness at or around the site of injection, which may last from a few minutes to several days. Injection site discomfort is usually non-existent or mild. Anaphylactic reactions are extremely uncommon, but if you experience throat swelling, itchy body rash, dangerously low blood pressure, or symptoms of anaphylaxis following an injection, seek medical treatment immediately. If you know you are allergic to any of the ingredients, avoid them!
Mobile IV Therapy for Athletic Performance in Asheville, NC
The use of IV therapy for athletic performance has become increasingly common in professional sports. Its growing popularity is certain to result in its adoption as the norm. Performance is already significantly higher for athletes who receive IV therapy than for those who do not and athletes must always look for innovative strategies to remain at their peak physical condition.
At ReNew Asheville, we are committed to making every client look and feel their best. That is why we offer mobile IV therapy treatments throughout the Asheville, NC area. Regardless if you want to receive an IV treatment at home, the office, or at the field or track, our professionals come to you. To learn more about this or our many other services and treatments, contact the professionals at ReNew Asheville today.