Alkaline Water Reduces Exercise Fatigue and Muscle Stress in Athletes
- Authors
- Mihyun Lee, Ailyn Fadriquela, Jayson M. Antonio, Cheol-Su Kim, Il-Young Cho, Ka-Eun Kim, Wan-Sik An, Hong-Young Jang, Johny Bajgai, Kyu-Jae Lee
- Journal
- Processes
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.3390/pr10081543
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- South Korea
- Health Condition
- Exercise-Induced Fatigue
- Body System
- Muscular
TL;DR
Drinking alkaline-reduced water (ARW) after intense exercise can reduce stress on the body and fatigue more effectively than regular water.
Key Finding
Alkaline-reduced water reduced markers of cellular stress and exercise-related fatigue more effectively than regular purified water in young healthy adults after exhaustive exercise.
Summary
This study tested whether alkaline-reduced water (water with a higher pH created through electrolysis) could help reduce exercise-related stress on cells and fatigue in young healthy men. After intense exercise, participants drank either alkaline-reduced water or regular purified water, and researchers measured markers of cellular stress and fatigue in their blood. The alkaline-reduced water group showed greater reductions in stress markers and fatigue indicators like lactate (a substance that builds up during intense exercise) compared to the regular water group.
Practical Takeaway
While this small human study suggests alkaline-reduced water may help with post-exercise recovery, the study's sample size and duration were not reported, making it difficult to assess how meaningful these results are. More research with larger groups and longer follow-up periods would be needed before recommending it as a recovery supplement. The findings are preliminary and should not be considered definitive evidence of health benefits.
Abstract (excerpt)
Regular physical activity confers health benefits and improves the general quality of life. Recently, alkaline-reduced water (ARW) consumption has garnered increasing attention in the field of sports. ARW effectively inhibits the oxidative stress generated in cells during high-intensity exercises…