Hydrogen Water Boosts Performance and Muscle Recovery in Elite Athletes

TL;DR

Drinking hydrogen-rich water helped female elite athletes build muscle, lose fat, and recover better from intense exercise.

Key Finding

Elite female athletes who consumed hydrogen-rich water showed reduced muscle damage markers, increased muscle mass, decreased body fat, and improved maximum strength compared to those receiving placebo.

Summary

This study tested whether hydrogen-rich water could help elite female athletes recover better from intense exercise. Twenty-two athletes in handball and skeleton sports either drank hydrogen-rich water or a placebo for an unspecified period while researchers measured muscle damage, body composition, strength, and inflammatory markers. The hydrogen-rich water group showed increases in muscle mass, decreases in body fat, improved maximum strength (torque), and lower levels of creatine kinase—a marker of muscle damage—compared to placebo.

Practical Takeaway

This small study in elite athletes suggests hydrogen-rich water may support muscle recovery and body composition changes, but the study duration and exact dosing were not reported, making it difficult to know what dose or timeline might be relevant for other athletes. More research in larger, more diverse athletic populations is needed before drawing firm conclusions about practical benefits.

Abstract (excerpt)

Background: Physical activity significantly increases the production of reactive oxygen species in the body. Molecular hydrogen has been shown to have safe and effective antioxidant properties on athletes. However, research on elite athletes is scarce. Methods: A randomized, double-blinded…

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