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17 Nov 2025Fresno’s abundance of trails and warmer climate make it the perfect place to get outside and enjoy an active lifestyle. With more than a dozen sports clubs or teams and plenty of places to engage in a favorite sport, there are plenty of reasons to stay in shape.
Even if you don’t play a sport, your personal health is important. At least 30 minutes of moderate activity is recommended each day, and the harder you work out, the more your muscles ache.
After an intense workout, IV therapy is a beneficial way to aid recovery and promote healing. Your muscles undergo a lot, and tissue damage must be taken into consideration. Diet helps, but it takes time. IV fluids are faster and effective. Knowing when to undergo IV therapy and how often it’s recommended ensures you use this therapeutic option responsibly.
How IV Therapy Works
An intense workout, regardless of your level of conditioning, creates small tears in the muscle tissue. As your cells repair this damage, muscles grow stronger. Protein and carbohydrates are essential in the healing process, but hydration is also necessary. Hydration helps remove waste and transports nutrients to the healing muscle tissue.
IV is the abbreviation for intravenous. IV therapy involves the direct infusion of fluids through a small tube directly into a vein, typically the vein on the back of the hand or inside the elbow. It’s an exact way to get medications and fluids into the body without needing time.
When you drink plain water, it undergoes the stomach’s digestion process, which begins within 5 minutes, but the entire process can take as long as 20 minutes. Beverages infused with electrolytes typically take 40 minutes or more to be fully absorbed.
Taking vitamins helps, but the digestive process reduces their absorption rate. You might only be getting 10% to 90% of the nutrients listed in a supplement. Much of this depends on the type of vitamin and dose. Vitamin A is often absorbed at rates of 70% to 90%. Vitamin C levels can be as low as 50%.
When IV fluids go straight into the bloodstream, there’s no wait for the fluids to be digested. You get the full dose of nutrients. They’re immediately in the blood and ready to rehydrate cells. This provides the body with the necessary nutrients without losing some of the benefits during digestion.
IV therapy is customized to meet your exact needs. As it’s customizable, a post-workout IV’s formulation includes some or all of the following:
Amino acids (Glutamine):
- Aids with energy production and metabolism
- Enhances tissue healing
- Helps with muscle recovery and repair
- Powers white blood cells
- Reduces inflammation
- Removes lactic acid
- Supports absorption of nutrients
B-Vitamin complex:
- Aids in healthy nerve function
- Converts food into the body’s fuel
- Helps with white blood cell production
- Supports red blood cell formation, DNA repair, and cell production
Magnesium:
- Aids muscle weakness and cramping
- Improves circulation
- Increases energy
- Regulates your blood pressure
Saline (Lactated Ringer’s):
- Helps the liver and kidneys flush out waste
- Increases blood volume
- Quickly improves hydration levels
- Restores electrolyte balance
Vitamin C:
- Collagen production
- Energy
- Fights inflammation
- Immune system support for fighting infection
A specialist performs post-workout IV therapy. You go to a clinic and get comfortable in a reclined position with your feet up. An IV catheter is inserted into a vein, and a plastic catheter remains in your vein. That catheter connects a thin tube to a bag of fluids.
Over a period of 20 to 60 minutes, the IV fluids flow directly into your vein. Once the fluids are administered, the catheter is removed, and pressure is applied to the small hole to stop any bleeding. You’ll be ready to get back to your routine in no time.
While you wait for the IV fluids to be administered, consider reading a book, watching videos, listening to a podcast, or taking a nap. You’re encouraged to drink water, as oral hydration is also important.
Beyond the pressure and pain of the initial poke, IV therapy is painless. Instead of taking vitamins by mouth and waiting an hour or more to gain the benefits, you’re hydrated and loaded with valuable nutrients in little time.
In the next few days, you might experience bruising from the catheter and itching as the injection site heals. This is normal and will resolve on its own.
When Is Post-Workout IV Therapy Appropriate?
Post-workout IV therapy is an effective way to recover after a vigorous workout. You must be honest with your doctor. If you have allergies or sensitivities to specific substances, please inform the doctor. If you have a latex allergy, be sure to tell your doctor. IV therapy is only helpful if it doesn’t cause an allergic reaction.
You should consider IV therapy if:
- Training season is getting started, and it’s intense.
- You experience severe fatigue or soreness after a workout.
- You had the flu or an illness that kept you down, and now you’re back to working out after a short break.
- You struggle to drink enough during a workout.
- You need faster muscle repair.
- You have participated in or plan to participate in an extreme event, such as a triathlon or marathon.
- You’ve exercised harder than in the past and need a boost during the recovery.
How often you get IV fluids is determined by your doctors. Some people need IV drips twice a month. Others require them just once a month.
Find the Best Right Sports and Orthopedics Specialist
Post-workout IV therapy is most effective when performed by a trained expert in sports and orthopedics. You have many options, but not all of them offer the support you need.
As you narrow down your options, ask these questions to find the best fit.
- Do you require a pre-treatment exam? (This should be the first step in IV therapy.)
- What pre-existing conditions contraindicate IV therapy? (Often, people with congestive heart failure, kidney failure, and severe allergies are not suitable candidates.)
- What ingredients go into my IV drip?
- Does the drip comply with anti-doping rules?
- Who administers the IV therapy?
- Could I take too much if I also took a multivitamin?
- After a session, how long should I wait before I exercise again?
- Will insurance cover my treatment? (Not every insurance company covers IV therapy. It’s better to ask than get stuck with an unexpected bill.)
Ideally, work with a doctor who specializes in sports medicine. IV therapy may not be enough. Your sports and orthopedic specialist might recommend massage or physical therapy as a more effective way to ease pain and strengthen muscles. Targeted muscle strengthening through EMS may be a more effective way to train for a marathon or get back in shape for the season.
Premium Sports & Orthopedics offers a range of services, including IV therapy, to residents and athletes in the Fresno area. Book your appointment online or call us to learn more.
