4 Reasons Why Athletes Use IV Hydration Therapy for Recovery

August 21, 2022

Have you ever wondered how athletes are able to perform at such high levels for significant lengths of time? It seems as though they are always looking for ways to get an energy boost and improve their endurance. Aside from prioritizing their time and focusing on training and honing their skills, professional athletes do a lot to take care of their bodies to train, perform, and recover.

IV hydration therapy has grown significantly for recreational and personal use in recent years. It has even piqued the interest of athletes from Lebron James to teams across the NFL looking to help hydrate their athletes before the big game. 

Yet, IV hydration therapy has been used by professional sports teams and athletes for years because intravenous therapy contains benefits that involve hydration, nutrient replenishment, performance support, cramp reduction, and much more. 

At The I.V. Doc, we know how important your health is to you. Who better to look to than professional athletes for some of the most compelling arguments for why intravenous therapy works? 

Keep reading for four reasons why serious athletes use IV hydration therapy for recovery.

What Is IV Hydration Therapy?

First, let’s do a quick overview of what IV hydration therapy is. At The I.V. Doc, we always want to prioritize transparent processes when it comes to your health, which is why we’re committed to offering you a team of medical professionals and consulting physicians to support your whole health. 

When you make an appointment at The I.V. Doc, you select a treatment that best fits your hydration needs for the moment. Perhaps you have jet lag after a few days of exhausting travel or are experiencing the discomfort of a hangover? Maybe you have the flu, are recovering from food poisoning, or are looking to up your hydration to boost your athletic performance?

Whatever your motivation is for receiving mobile IV therapy, we are here for all of your hydration needs. 

Why Hydration Is Important For Athletes

Though it might go without saying, it’s worth reminding all of us who are active, athletic, or fans of the gym life for fun or weight loss: hydration is important. In general, hydration should be a priority because our body relies on water (not a sugar-filled sports drink) to keep it functioning normally. 

However, if you live a particularly athletic lifestyle, are on a sports team, or got roped into training for a half marathon with your family, then drinking water and maintaining your hydration takes an even more important role in your performance and your recovery. 

Replenishing electrolytes, rehydrating lost fluids, and filing your body with nutrients like potassium and sodium after a hardcore workout is just as important as hitting the gym. Here are the top four reasons why athletes use hydration therapy. 

Reason #1: Prehydration Helps With Cramps

A study was published sharing that 75% of NFL teams use intravenous fluid hydration before games to help with in-game performance. This tactic, known as hyperhydration, is a strategy that these professional teams use to hydrate their players before they get dehydrated during gameplay. 

Through the use of intravenous fluid hydration, players are able to be super-hydrated, providing their bodies with all of the nutrients and hydration to be able to perform at their peak athletic performance. The most-cited reason in the study was the use of intravenous hydration to address players potentially getting in-game cramps. 

Reason #2: Beat Heat Exhaustion and Overheating

If you’re exercising outside or sweating a lot during your workouts, then you’re likely losing a significant amount of fluids. Athletic training during the hot summer months can be particularly brutal, especially for extended periods of time. Heat exhaustion can pose a real problem to performance and endurance. 

Heat exhaustion, characterized by excessive sweating, dizziness, fatigue, and cool skin with goosebumps, while usually not life-threatening, can lead to heatstroke and serious dehydration. In order to continue to perform at high levels while also exerting a significant amount of energy, athletes can use intravenous hydration boosters to up their fluid levels after working out. 

Prehydration via the use of IV fluid therapy can also be used to boost fluids before exercise, in order to hyper-hydrate before an event or activity with the potential for significant fluid loss. 

Reason #3: Recover Quickly With IV Hydration

After a long workout, you might reach for an electrolyte-packed beverage, which replenishes essential vitamins. While this does help, sometimes your body needs an extra boost of hydration. Professional athletes, after several hours of high-performance physical activity, are often in need of recovery through hydration. 

It’s not just the fluid loss – or the loss of water – that needs replenishing after high-intensity athletic events. When our bodies sweat, essential minerals and nutrients like sodium and electrolytes are lost as well. 

When Lebron James had to leave an NBA finals game due to debilitating leg cramps, he recovered with an IV drip which helped him put back essential nutrients like sodium and potassium into his body. 

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to need rehydration. If you get regular exercise, your body needs hydration to recover, and could benefit from hydrating IV infusions. 

Reason #4: Protect Joint Health 

Professional athletes rely first and foremost on their bodies to perform to the best of their ability. Just like a professional race car driver relies on their car to be perfectly aligned and tuned, athletes need their bodies to be in top condition. 

Hydrating not only protects your joints, but aids in pretty much every essential function in our bodies. Joint protection is just one of the ways in which fluids protect our bodies; 70% - 80% of joint cartilage is made up of water. Basketball, football, and baseball players rely on their bodies to make quick stops – and recover if they make contact with another player – which is why joint health is critical for performance. 

Again, even if you’re not a professional athlete, you can benefit from a hydration supplement in the form of intravenous fluid hydration. Whether you’re doing jump squats at the gym, going for a run with your dog, or training for a 5k with the family, prioritizing hydration before, during, and after exercise can help cushion your joints for any workout that might include high-impact training. 

Are IV Treatments Safe?

The short answer is a resounding “Yes!” 

At The I.V. Doc, we take all of the necessary precautions to ensure that your experience with IV hydration therapy is not only safe and effective but discreetly done in the comfort of your home, office, or hotel room by registered nurses. 

Book now. Our team of medical professionals are experts in administering IV vitamin therapy, as well as monitoring your healthcare and following up with you after you receive treatment.

The I.V. Doc’s Cleanse Treatment is our go-to offering for all of your hydration needs. With up to 1000ml of lactated ringers, this therapy quickly rehydrates your body whether you are dehydrated after a long day outside, need a recovery boost after a high-intensity workout, or are feeling under-the-weather. 

The benefits of IV therapy greatly outweigh any potential discomfort that administering wellness treatments may cause. With our team of medical professionals traveling to the privacy of your home, you will receive professional, luxury treatment and expert medical advice to help determine the best IV treatment for you. 

The Bottom Line 

Though not all of us are professional athletes, there are important lessons we can glean from the ways in which professional athletes train, perform, and recover. Aside from taking care of their bodies with exercise and a balanced diet, athletes have been using intravenous fluid hydration to boost their performance for years.

Some of the benefits of IV fluid hydration include helping your body avoid getting cramps during activity, maintaining joint function, rehydrating after intense workouts, and maintaining a normal functioning immune system. 

Whether you want to detoxify or need an IV treatment that includes anti-nausea medications, we have an IV package to fit. But, if you want to hydrate like a professional athlete, book an appointment with The I.V. Doc today, so you can start hydrating as hard as you train. 

Sources:

Seventy-Five Percent of National Football League Teams Use Pregame Hyperhydration With Intravenous Fluid | Research Gate

Heat exhaustion - Symptoms and causes | Mayo Clinic.

The Basic Science of Articular Cartilage | PMC.

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