Hydrogen Water Boosts Exercise Endurance and Reduces Fatigue
- Authors
- Toshio Mikami, Kohei Tano, Hosung Lee, Hyowon Lee, Jonghyuk Park, Fumiaki Ohta, Tyler W. LeBaron, Shigeo Ohta
- Journal
- Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.1139/cjpp-2019-0059
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Exercise-Induced Fatigue
- Body System
- Muscular
TL;DR
Drinking water infused with molecular hydrogen (H2) before exercising can reduce fatigue and improve endurance.
Key Finding
Drinking hydrogen water 10-30 minutes before exercise significantly reduced reported fatigue and improved endurance capacity in both untrained and trained participants, with stronger effects in people who started with higher fatigue levels.
Summary
This study tested whether drinking hydrogen-infused water before exercise could reduce fatigue and improve endurance. In two experiments with healthy volunteers and trained athletes, participants drank either hydrogen water or placebo water before cycling exercise. The hydrogen water group reported feeling less tired after exercise and showed improvements in endurance measures compared to the placebo group.
Practical Takeaway
This human study suggests hydrogen water may help reduce exercise-related fatigue, particularly for people who tend to feel tired during physical activity. However, the study duration and long-term effects are not reported, so it's unclear whether benefits persist with regular use or apply to everyday activities beyond controlled exercise sessions.
Abstract
Acute physical exercise increases reactive oxygen species in skeletal muscle, leading to tissue damage and fatigue. Molecular hydrogen (H2) acts as a therapeutic antioxidant directly or indirectly by inducing antioxidative enzymes. Here, we examined the effects of drinking H2 water (H2-infused water) on psychometric fatigue and endurance capacity in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled fashion. In Experiment 1, all participants drank only placebo water in the first cycle ergometer exercise session, and for comparison they drank either H2 water or placebo water 30 min before exercise in the second examination. In these healthy non-trained participants (n = 99), psychometric fatigue judged by visual analogue scales was significantly decreased in the H2 group after mild exercise. When each group was divided into 2 subgroups, the subgroup with higher visual analogue scale values was more sensitive to the effect of H2. In Experiment 2, trained participants (n = 60) were subjected to moderate exercise by cycle ergometer in a similar way as in Experiment 1, but exercise was performed 10 min after drinking H2 water. Endurance and fatigue were significantly improved in the H2 group as judged by maximal oxygen consumption and Borg's scale, respectively. Taken together, drinking H2 water just before exercise exhibited anti-fatigue and endurance effects.