IV therapy
Do IV fluids help after a workout?
Written by the Forever Young IV Bar teamPublished
Small studies of athletes who were dehydrated found IV fluids restored blood volume faster but did not clearly beat drinking when it came to heat tolerance or exercise time. A sports medicine review says routine IV therapy cannot be recommended for most athletes. If you compete in tested sports, IV fluids also carry rules.
What the research says
Researchers have compared IV fluids with drinking for dehydrated athletes. The studies are small, and they mostly test fluid given after dehydration and before a second round of exercise, not general soreness or recovery.
In one randomized study of 8 men, IV fluid restored blood plasma volume more than drinking did. But during a later heat test, there was no overall difference in heart rate, body temperature, perceived effort or time to exhaustion between the IV and drinking trials (about 73 minutes with IV and 71 with drinking). The authors concluded that IV rehydration was not advantageous over drinking for physiological strain or heat tolerance.
In another small study of 8 trained men, exercise time to exhaustion was not different between drinking and IV fluids, and both were longer than no fluid at all.
A sports medicine review of IV fluid use in athletes found no high-level studies confirming that IV prehydration prevents dehydration or muscle cramps, and concluded that routine IV therapy cannot be recommended as best practice for the majority of athletes.
When fluids by IV make sense
Cleveland Clinic says a person may need IV fluids when they become dangerously dehydrated, for example from vomiting or diarrhea, or from exercising too much or spending too much time in the heat without drinking enough. Signs of severe dehydration include dizziness, fast breathing, and very dark yellow urine.
The same sports medicine review said IV fluids may be beneficial for a subset of fluid-sensitive athletes, reserved for high-level athletes with strong histories of symptoms in well-monitored settings. If you feel severely unwell after exercise, seek medical care rather than waiting for a scheduled drip.
If you compete in tested sports
If you compete in tested sports, check the rules first. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency says that under the World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List, IV infusions or injections of more than 100 mL per 12 hours are prohibited at all times, in and out of competition, unless the athlete has a Therapeutic Use Exemption. It also says IV drips of vitamins and supplements given for recovery are covered.
USADA states that using IV fluids after exercise to correct mild dehydration or to speed recovery is not clinically indicated, and that oral rehydration is the preferred choice. Ask your sport's anti-doping organization before you book.
Simple recovery habits
For most people, simple habits come first:
- Drink fluids as you exercise, and keep drinking afterward.
- Eat a normal meal after training.
- Sleep enough.
- Ask a provider about any symptoms that keep coming back, such as cramping or lightheadedness.
Book a visit or ask a question
If you are curious whether IV hydration fits your situation, a provider can talk it through with you. You can book online at foreveryoungivbar.com/book/ or call 469-613-7033. Our Plano studio is at 2609 Technology Drive, Suite 108 (inside Habitat Commons). A nurse can also come to you for mobile visits across Dallas-Fort Worth, which are booked by phone.
Sources
- Rapid IV versus oral rehydration: responses to subsequent exercise heat stress
- Intravenous versus oral rehydration during a brief period: stress hormone responses to subsequent exhaustive exercise in the heat
- Givan and Diehl: Intravenous Fluid Use in Athletes (Sports Health, 2012)
- USADA: Is it prohibited for athletes to use IV infusions for rehydration and recovery?
- Cleveland Clinic: IV fluids (intravenous fluids)