Hydrogen Therapy Speeds Recovery from Sports Injuries
- Authors
- Sergej M. Ostojic, Boris Vukomanovic, Julio Calleja-Gonzalez, Jay R. Hoffman
- Journal
- Postgraduate Medicine
- Year
- 2014
- DOI
- 10.3810/pgm.2014.09.2813
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Serbia
- Health Condition
- Soft Tissue Injuries
- Body System
- Musculoskeletal
TL;DR
Adding hydrogen treatment to regular care for sports injuries may speed up athletes' recovery.
Key Finding
Athletes who received both oral and topical hydrogen therapy combined with standard treatment recovered joint range of motion faster than those receiving standard treatment alone.
Summary
This pilot study tested whether hydrogen supplements could help professional athletes recover faster from acute soft tissue injuries like sprains and strains. Thirty-six male athletes received either standard injury treatment alone, standard treatment plus oral hydrogen tablets, or standard treatment plus both oral hydrogen tablets and topical hydrogen packs applied to the injury. After 2 weeks, athletes who received both oral and topical hydrogen showed faster recovery of joint movement and better blood flow markers compared to the control group.
Practical Takeaway
This small pilot study suggests that adding hydrogen therapy to conventional injury treatment may speed recovery in professional athletes, but the findings are preliminary and limited to a single season with a small group. Larger, longer studies would be needed to confirm whether hydrogen is truly effective and to determine the best way to use it for sports injuries.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background: Because hydrogen therapy has been found beneficial for the treatment of inflammation, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and oxidative stress in humans, it seems useful to evaluate the effects of exogenously administered hydrogen as an element in the immediate management of sports-related…