Doctors warn of ‘pin-happy’ culture in professional sports

Doctors have warned that IV drips are becoming the norm in professional sports, although there is no evidence that they work or that they are safe.

Some of the top clubs in the UK and USA use them several times a week as part of their pre- or post-game routine.

Treatment involves intravenous administration of nutrients such as B vitamins, amino acids and electrolytes, normally found in healthy foods, directly into the blood.

They are said to make people feel less tired and rejuvenated, but there is no evidence that they work.

A group of doctors from international clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United football clubs, said players should be encouraged to eat healthier and stop using needles.

Once the domain of expensive celebrity clinics, IV drips are now readily available and some companies are delivering them to people’s homes.

Others require customers to go to a street salon, some of which are located in the UK’s largest shopping centres.

Former Manchester City football player Samir Nasri has been banned for six months after being caught using an IV in 2016.

Doctors warn that there is little evidence that the infusions actually benefit their performance, but that they can cause long-term liver disease and nerve damage.

Previously, IV drips were used only as a “last resort” in sports for athletes suffering from anemia or severe hydration.

But doctors are fast becoming the ‘norm’, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

While the exact amount of IV drops used by athletes around the world is unknown, anecdotal evidence suggests that some players use them in the most extreme situations, before and after each game, they said.

Blood tests also indicate that many players have higher levels of specific nutrients associated with the drops, which indicates regular use.

publishers He is the co-author of the Toronto Raptors basketball teams, San Francisco 49ers football and Dallas Mavericks baseball teams.

The authors wrote: ‘IVN [nutrition] products are often used to deal with fatigue, fatigue or recovery, but the evidence is minimal and not supportive.

But they added: “The long-term effects of supratherapeutic doses of B vitamins and other nutrients in athletes are unknown.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s worth the risk, especially given the lack of evidence-based benefits.”

Doctors said research has suggested that IV bait drops can cause long-term liver and nerve damage.

High levels of vitamin B6 have been associated with peripheral neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that causes pain, numbness or weakness.

Meanwhile, they said that injecting iron infusions can lead to liver disease.

In extreme cases, regular use of hangover drops can cause nausea and liver damage due to an overdose of vitamin A.

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2007 found that the performance of athletes was not affected in any way by six weekly injections of B12 every other day compared to a placebo.

And a 2020 article in Nutrients found no additional benefit of B12 injections above 700 pg/ml into the blood in a group of Polish track and field athletes.