Alkaline Water Reduces Exercise Fatigue and Muscle Stress in Athletes

Authors
Journal
Processes
Year
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

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; however, whether it exerts similar effects during exhaustive exercises remains unknown. This study was designed as a randomized, controlled, crossover, double-blind clinical trial with a single intervention of ARW intake (pH 9.5, 10 mL/kg body weight) after intense exercise. The participants were divided into two groups, wherein they consumed either purified water (PW group) or ARW (ARW group). Blood samples were collected before exercise, immediately after exercise, and 15 min after drinking water. The serum levels of oxidative stress markers and fatigue markers were determined. The results showed that ROS (p < 0.01) and NO levels (p < 0.001) were significantly decreased after ARW intake, and the reduction was more pronounced than that in the PW group. Interestingly, the increase in GPx and MDA levels was mediated by ARW intake (both p < 0.05) after exercise. The levels of fatigue markers, such as lactate (p < 0.001), lactate dehydrogenase (p < 0.001), and phosphate (p < 0.001), were significantly reduced in both groups, with ARW intervention showing more decreased markers. The correlation analysis results showed that ARW may help maintain homeostatic conditions for ROS, antioxidant systems, and fatigue markers. These findings indicate that ARW consumption is effective in reducing oxidative stress and fatigue following exhaustive exercise and that ARW could be used as an antioxidant and anti-fatigue supplement after exhaustive physical exercise.