IVs for Professional Athletes: Testimonials, NAD+, Aminos, Vitamins, and saline
When Sacramento area professional athletes request IVs, they are seeking to prepare for rigorous training or an event slightly more often than looking to recover from a rigorous performance. The nurses and staff at Crafted Vitality have created and provided IV treatment services to professional and collegiate athletes competing in football, basketball, triathlon, marathons, and mixed martial arts events. In this article we’ll discuss why professionals choose IV therapy, the most popular treatments, what to look for in a provider, and what studies and sporting agencies say about IV therapy.
Why do professional athletes choose IV therapy?
The professional athletes served by Crafted Vitality cite enhanced performance or quicker recovery as their reasons for pursuing IV therapy. The performance can take many forms. For example, one area football player described suffering repeatedly from cramps in the second half of football games despite oral hydration efforts. Since his first pre-game IV treatment, he has repeated the treatment before every game, and hasn’t suffered a cramp since starting treatments. Older athletes tend to cite the anti-inflammatory and increased focus aspects of some IV treatments in addition to the benefits of hydration.
Most popular choices: The Power IV
The Power IV treatment by Crafted Vitality is designed for competitive athletes and fitness enthusiasts who want to fuel their bodies with the highest quality ingredients, improve energy, increase endurance, enhance athletic performance and recover faster. This potent blend of amino acids, B vitamins, minerals and antioxidants help prepare you for peak performance. Crafted Vitality recommends either using Power the day before an activity for optimal energy and endurance, or within 48 hours after intense physical activity or athletic events to reduce inflammation, minimize muscle soreness and accelerate muscle recovery.
Other IV providers sell similar versions of the Power IV. Look for names that imply physical performance, and infusions that contain aminos, glutathione, and B vitamins. The Amino Blend used by Crafted Vitality includes glutamine, arginine, lysine, carnitine, and citrulline that work together to promote growth hormone release and increase the efficiency of the metabolic repair process. Quality providers like Crafted Vitality will consult a Naturopathic Doctor trained in creating customized IV blends to serve the bodies and minds of their patients.
Most popular choices: NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)
NAD+ supports healing brain tissues and blood vessels based on current research. Nearly all of the professional athletes and other patients requesting repeated NAD+ treatments cite increased mental focus as the greatest benefit of the treatment. With reports of very noticeable increased mental focus that lasts for between three and five days, it is no wonder that this is the popular choice among endurance athletes. One participant in Sacramento’s Ironman Triathlon explained that the focus was a “game changer” for holding the mindset necessary for a 9 to 12 hour or longer athletic effort.
Recent and current studies are examining the use of NAD+ to treat concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Other studies are examining glutathione’s effects on the brain following concussion. Early indications are that the anti-inflammatory nature of both NAD+ and glutathione have the ability to decrease swelling which saves brain cells that would otherwise die during the inflammation cycle.
What to look for in a provider: Ask for at least 500mg (milligrams)
There can be large differences between providers as there is no standardization among IV providers. There can be a large discrepancy in the amounts of saline and vitamins used, the quality of vitamins used, the vitamins used, and the amount.
Professional athletes generally prefer 1000 ml or 1 liter of saline for their treatments. For vitamins, it is critical to evaluate the dosage of the two most expensive and critical items used in IV treatments: NAD+ and glutathione. Quality providers like Crafted Vitality use at a minimum 500 mg of NAD+ and glutathione in their treatments. The best IV providers have both a medical doctor and naturopathic doctor working together to optimize treatment formulas.
Do IVs violate doping policies? Are they allowed?
There are a number of doping policies that vary between organizations. Many organizations permit the use of Vitamin IVs, including the NFL, NBA, and MLB (with the team doctor’s permission). The most restrictive policies pertain to olympic athletes, who are prohibited from receiving more than 100ml of saline in any 12 hour period. Swimmer Ryan Lochte made headlines in 2019 for his suspension by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) after receiving an immune boosting IV treatment. Crafted Vitality recommends that athletes check with their regulatory agency before receiving IV treatments.
Is there any difference in the IV between providers?
Yes, there can be large differences between the amounts of saline and vitamins used, the quality of vitamins used, the vitamins used, and the amount. The best IV providers have both a medical doctor and naturopathic doctor working together to optimize treatment formulas.
Drinking water, staying hydrated and taking oral supplements is more effective than not, but may require time and energy that not all athletes have. If you want to boost your performance or recovery immediately, contact Crafted Vitality and schedule your IV treatment today!
