Why Take Post-Workout Vitamins? A Quick Fact Sheet from our IV Therapy Toronto Lounge
POSTED BY TORONTO FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE CENTRE
Did you know that our IV therapy Toronto lounge can offer advice on nutritional support for athletic recovery?
Our functional medicine patients frequently learn about replenishing the body through vitamins, amino acids, minerals and hydration, especially after heavy physical exertion. “Vitamins function in the human body as metabolic regulators, influencing a number of physiological processes important to exercise or sport performance,” explains a paper from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, which goes on to confirm: “Vitamin deficiencies can certainly impair exercise performance.”
During and after a physical performance, the human body expends excessive amounts of nutrients, which reduces energy levels. Your body also uses its natural supply of amino acids to repair muscle injuries. So, think about it: if you don’t sustain nutrition levels after a workout or you have a nutritional deficiency, you could boost your risks for injuries, pain, and chronic inflammation.
By understanding how essential vitamins work, you can elevate your wellness for your daily routine and health goals. In this post, the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre discusses the importance of post-workout vitamins and which ones can help support optimal functioning.
Why consider post-exercise nutrition
Fostering the body with nutrients can promote beneficial effects on your athletic performance. When you take supplements (i.e. vitamin infusions) after exercising, some benefits may be noticed:
- An energy boost
- Improvement in stamina
- Increased efficiency during healing processes
- Reduced pain levels
Vitamins help protect your bones and muscles from inflammation. When key nutrients are supplemented following exercise, this can promote anti-inflammatory components and safeguard the body against cellular damage. So which vitamins should you take after a training session? Keep reading below.
Key vitamins for fostering physical recovery
The table below highlights some essential vitamins and their impact on athletic recovery.
|
Vitamin |
Role in Post-Workout Nutrition |
|
Vitamin B |
This group of vitamins provides you with adequate energy levels for functioning. They’re also mandatory for metabolizing fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. You lose amounts of vitamin B6 through physical exertion, so replenishment is necessary to replace the fluids and nutrients lost from sweating. |
|
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) |
“Exercise can produce an imbalance between ROS and antioxidants, leading to oxidative stress-related tissue damages,” explains a study from the Journal of the International Society of Sports. Thus, vitamin C impacts post-workout health as a powerful antioxidant for reducing oxidative damage; it’s necessary for producing collagen, which can help optimize muscle recovery and support the maintenance of strength. |
|
Vitamin D |
As a key ingredient, this is required for improving bone mass and density. When your D levels are ideal, they could help your bones withstand strenuous physical activities. If you need to build muscle, you should know that vitamin D and calcium supplementation taken together may promote swift results. |
|
Vitamin E |
This here is another potent antioxidant! As a supplement, it could promote the healthy growth of muscles, while benefiting your heart health. It may also play a role in immune function; known to fight oxidative stress and prevent free radicals from building up. |
Note: Prior to taking any new supplements, please consult with a functional medicine provider (i.e. a naturopath or medical doctor). Although these vitamins are necessary for the human body, your personal health may require other key nutrients not listed above.
Promoting muscle recovery with intravenous therapy
Here’s a tip: In order to optimize athletic recovery, replenish your levels of vitamins immediately after a workout. Drinking a protein-rich smoothie or electrolytes is an option, but the digestive process can take several hours. To promote optimal hydration and recover vitamins promptly, IV drip therapy may be considered. This is a personalized service offered in our IV Lounge, which customizes doses of vitamins for different chief health concerns.
Also known as drip vitamin therapy or IV therapy drips, it works like this: an IV is inserted into the patient’s vein, and a nutritional solution immediately enters the bloodstream. Because intravenous infusion drips bypass the digestive tract, you’re assured an immediate and complete absorption of nutrients, without intestinal filtration that can last for hours.
Now did you know that intravenous vitamin therapy can be timed after a training session? Our downtown clinic is accessible throughout the GTA. After a workout, you can stop by immediately to replenish and help prevent chronic pain.
Improve optimal function in our IV Lounge
At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre, customization can be crucial for addressing your body’s daily challenges, such as a lack of energy, electrolyte imbalances, or low blood sugar levels.
When you become a new patient with us, you’re instantly introduced to our compassionate approach! At your initial consultation, we scrutinize your individuality; we conduct a complete diagnostic session to reveal your current lifestyle (i.e. daily activities), environment, medical history/genetics, and recommend lab testing. Once these core components are clarified, we customize your treatment plan. This may include IV nutrient therapy as a supportive tool to use with other therapies, including herbal remedies, Western medicine, naturopathic medicine, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and other modalities.
Inside our IV Lounge, intravenous drip therapy and booster shots are available for adjunctive care. We tailor IV vitamin drips in line with integrative functional medicine principles, to adapt therapeutic doses for your biology only! Ask about our IV menu, as we carry a wide range of natural ingredients, such as N- Acetylcysteine, glutamic acid (L-glutamic acid) ascorbic acid, folic acid, vitamin E, vitamin A, major minerals, major antioxidants, and a powerful combination of amino acids.
Replenish your body with a mixture of vitamins and minerals today! When combined with lifestyle modifications and functional medicine therapies, IV therapy in Toronto could lead to optimal health. Click here to contact us for our business hours.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.
References
Braakhuis, Andrea J. PhD, MND, APD. Effect of Vitamin C Supplements on Physical Performance. Current Sports Medicine Reports 11(4):p 180-184, July/August 2012. | DOI: 10.1249/JSR.0b013e31825e19cd
Clifford T, Ventress M, Allerton DM, Stansfield S, Tang JCY, Fraser WD, Vanhoecke B, Prawitt J, Stevenson E. The effects of collagen peptides on muscle damage, inflammation and bone turnover following exercise: a randomized, controlled trial. Amino Acids. 2019 Apr;51(4):691-704. doi: 10.1007/s00726-019-02706-5. Epub 2019 Feb 19. PMID: 30783776.
Garthe I, Maughan RJ. Athletes and Supplements: Prevalence and Perspectives. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018 Mar 1;28(2):126-138. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0429. Epub 2018 Mar 26. PMID: 29580114.
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research; Marriott BM, editor. Nutritional Needs in Hot Environments: Applications for Military Personnel in Field Operations. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1993. 11, Situational Influences on Food Intake.
Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al, IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete, British Journal of Sports Medicine 2018;52:439-455.
Paulsen G, Hamarsland H, Cumming KT, Johansen RE, Hulmi JJ, Børsheim E, Wiig H, Garthe I, Raastad T. Vitamin C and E supplementation alters protein signalling after a strength training session, but not muscle growth during 10 weeks of training. J Physiol. 2014 Dec 15;592(24):5391-408. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.279950. Epub 2014 Nov 10. PMID: 25384788; PMCID: PMC4270502.
Williams MH. Dietary supplements and sports performance: introduction and vitamins. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2004 Dec 31;1(2):1-6. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-1-2-1. PMID: 18498619; PMCID: PMC2129136.
Yimcharoen, M., Kittikunnathum, S., Suknikorn, C. et al. Effects of ascorbic acid supplementation on oxidative stress markers in healthy women following a single bout of exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 16, 2 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-019-0269-8
