Hydrogen Water Shows Promise for Athletes and Exercise Recovery
- Authors
- Takuji Kawamura, Kazuhiko Higashida, Isao Muraoka
- Journal
- Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.1155/2020/2328768
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress
- Body System
- Muscular
TL;DR
Scientists found that molecular hydrogen (a super tiny gas) might help athletes recover better by reducing harmful stuff in their bodies that builds up during exercise, and you can get it by drinking special water or taking hydrogen baths instead of taking pills. This could be a new, simpler way to help athletes feel less sore and tired after working out, but they need to do more studies to figure out exactly how much works best.
Key Finding
Only 6 studies to date have examined molecular hydrogen's effects on exercise in healthy subjects, despite growing research on its antioxidant properties in disease contexts.
Summary
This review article examines research on molecular hydrogen (H2), a tiny gas molecule that may act as an antioxidant (a substance that reduces harmful chemical damage in cells). The authors looked at studies exploring whether H2, delivered through methods like drinking hydrogen-enriched water or hydrogen baths, could help reduce oxidative stress caused by exercise. While most H2 research has focused on diseases like cancer and diabetes, only about 6 studies have tested it in healthy people doing exercise. The review suggests H2 might be a practical alternative to conventional antioxidant supplements for athletes, though more research is needed.
Practical Takeaway
While molecular hydrogen shows theoretical promise as an antioxidant for exercise recovery, this is a review article summarizing existing research rather than a new study with results. The evidence base remains very small (6 studies), and the authors emphasize that optimal dosing, delivery methods, and actual effects on athletic performance remain unclear. Anyone considering hydrogen water should await more rigorous human studies before expecting specific performance benefits.
Abstract
Molecular hydrogen (H2) is a colorless, tasteless, odorless, and minimal molecule with high flammability. Although H2 has been thought to be an inert gas in living bodies for many years, an animal study reported that inhalation of H2 gas decreased oxidative stress and suppressed brain injury caused by ischemia and reperfusion injury due to its antioxidant action. Since then, the antioxidant action of H2 has attracted considerable attention and many studies have reported on its benefits. Most studies have reported the effects of H2 on diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cerebral infarction, and Alzheimer's disease. However, little is known regarding its effects on healthy subjects and exercise. Thus far, including our study, only 6 studies have explored the effect of H2 on exercise. H2 is the smallest molecule and therefore can easily penetrate the cellular membrane and rapidly diffuse into organelles. H2 is thought to be able to selectively reduce hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite and does not affect physiologically reactive species. H2 can be supplied to the body through multiple routes of administration, such as oral intake of H2 water and H2 bathing. Therefore, H2 may be a potential alternative strategy for conventional exogenous antioxidant interventions in sports science. The purpose of this review is to provide evidence regarding the effects of H2 intake on changes in physiological and biochemical parameters, centering on exercise-induced oxidative stress, for each intake method. Furthermore, this review highlights possible future directions in this area of research.