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Experts reiterate the need to reinforce nutrition first” and no needle” messages among all athletes
Intravenous (IV) nutrition, once considered a "last resort," is in danger of becoming the norm for competitive athletes despite there being no scientific evidence that it works or is safe, experts warn in an editorial published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The “food first” and “no needle” messages must be reinforced among all athletes and their support teams to nip this trend in the bud, they say. The authors, who regularly interact with professional team players in European and American leagues and their support teams, have become increasingly aware of the practice. And while it's not known exactly how common it is,...
Experts reiterate the need to reinforce nutrition first” and no needle” messages among all athletes
Intravenous (IV) nutrition, once considered a "last resort," is in danger of becoming the norm for competitive athletes despite there being no scientific evidence that it works or is safe, experts warn in an editorial published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The “food first” and “no needle” messages must be reinforced among all athletes and their support teams to nip this trend in the bud, they say.
The authors, who regularly interact with professional team players in European and American leagues and their support teams, have become increasingly aware of the practice.
And while it's not known exactly how common it is, anecdotally some players are hooked up to IV nutrition drops as part of a pre- or post-game routine as often as every week, they say.
So-called “drip bars” and concierge IV nutrition services claim to boost health and performance, restore hydration, and accelerate recovery by offering a menu of B vitamins, amino acids, glutathione, vitamin C, and electrolytes, potentially increasing levels beyond the therapeutic range.
Although these services are easily accessible, they appear to have escaped regulatory oversight, and there is no guidance on their use for players or practitioners, the authors point out.
The principle of reducing the use of needles in sport and a “food first” approach is taught in sports nutrition courses around the world, and a ban on the use of needles by athletes at the Olympics, except for appropriate medical use and where a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) is obtained, applies to all Games to date, they point out.
Intravenous nutrition infusions have traditionally been reserved for severe clinical conditions such as: For example, anemia, symptoms caused by nutrient deficiencies, or to correct severe dehydration caused, for example, by running a marathon in a desert. But they are now used for tiredness, fatigue or recovery, the authors say.
"But the evidence is sparse and unsupportive. We are aware of only two studies that evaluated vitamin injections in otherwise healthy participants, neither of which found an effect for the injection group," the authors note.
And these drops are not without risks, as they potentially disrupt the body's own powerhouses of detoxification and immunity - the liver and gut microbes, they add.
“Bypassing these mechanisms appears foolish unless there is significant clinical justification,” they write, adding that intravenous infusions also carry the risk of needle site infection and blood clots.
Too much vitamin B6 has been linked to peripheral neuropathy, while athletes who regularly receive IV iron are at risk for liver disease, they point out.
“Given that the long-term effects of supratherapeutic doses of B vitamins and other nutrients in athletes are unknown, it does not appear to be worth the risk, especially given the lack of evidence-based benefits,” they write.
“More than that, the reputational risk to sport is when it is normalized for athletes to regularly engage in self-directed IV [nutrition] use, with a worrying shift away from what “works” (according to scientific standards) toward what is not proven.
“In addition, some athletes risk an anti-doping violation by participating in self-directed IV [nutrition] use.”
Figures on the prevalence of IV nutrition need to be collected alongside governing bodies and players' associations in professional leagues to provide guidance on the potential risks of IV nutrition, say the authors.
“The ‘eat first’ and ‘no needle’ messages need to be reinforced among all athletes and multidisciplinary support teams to avoid a treatment that was previously a ‘last resort’ becoming the norm without scientific evidence of benefit,” they warn.
Source:
Reference:
Lewis, N., et al. (2022) Rise of Intravenous Nutrition Products in Professional Team Athletes: Reason for Concern? British Journal of Sports Medicine. doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-105883.
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