The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the emergence of an increasingly health-conscious public, as more people are purchasing daily vitamins and antioxidants and focusing on overall wellness. The shift toward a healthier lifestyle has spurred a wider recognition of less-well known treatments.

Compared to your body’s usual method of nutrition via digestion, these IV infusions pump nutrients directly to your body through the bloodstream, allowing for more immediate absorption. 

There are multiple factors, such as age, metabolism and other health-related issues that affect the way our bodies absorb vitamins through digestion. As these travel through the body, less and less of the intended dosage is absorbed due to loss of nutrients from digestion. Doctors and other medical professionals often use IV treatments on patients because they allow the body to absorb almost all of the vitamins and nutrients.

Clean Market at NYC Hudson Yards offers NutriDrip treatments, including one specifically for athletes. Nurse and administrator of NutriDrip at Clean Market Ellie Kaoud discussed how “NutriFit,” another one of their IV treatments, has become a trend for marathon runners before a big race. 

“It’s really helpful for them because it helps grow their muscles and helps their performance for a marathon,” Kaoud said. 

Not only are IV vitamin treatments helpful for runners while training, but they are also helpful after the race. The nutrients from the vitamin drips work to speed up recovery faster than ice baths.

They also come with risks: The use of a needle means that IV fusion can result in bruising and vein inflammation.

With all the necessary vitamins such as Vitamins A, C, and D and omega-3 going directly into the bloodstream instead of through the digestive tract, the body is able to quickly repair itself. This gets runners ready for the next race faster. 

NutriFit, like many of the other available NutriDrips, is filled with amino acids that help build muscles and carry nutrients throughout the body. Amino acids play a crucial role in the human body, helping regenerate muscles and boost the immune system. Because IV fusion therapy creates a surplus of amino acids for athletes, recovery time is shorter and can help them reach their athletic goals with ease. 

Vitamin infusions can also be used for non-illness-related reasons, such as balancing hormones, helping to clear skin and relieving your body of toxins. Although a proper change in diet and exercise is needed for long-term results, IV fusions with lipotropic nutrients can help aid weight loss by breaking down fat cells in the body. IV fusion has also been used for addiction recovery as the infusions make withdrawal easier and detoxify the body.

IV fusion treatments are not inexpensive. They can range anywhere between $50 and $300 on the market. They also come with risks: The use of a needle means that IV fusion can result in bruising and vein inflammation. Another risk is vitamin overdose, which, depending on the vitamins, can lead to common issues including stomach pain, constipation and nausea.  

Overall, IV fusion provides many nutritional benefits compared to traditional methods. Vitamin infusions can be particularly helpful in aiding athletes with their training and recovery. IV fusion therapy is mostly still seen in hospital settings, but increasing knowledge of its efficacy may mean that IV infusions will become a more common sight in the near future.