Hydrogen Gas Improves Athletic Recovery and Reduces DNA Damage
- Authors
- Katsuhiro Koyama, Yudai Shibayama, Shohei Dobashi, Takaaki Arisawa, Tamotsu Fukuoka
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.4103/2045-9912.304222
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress
- Body System
- Muscular
TL;DR
Breathing in a hydrogen-rich gas after intense exercise may reduce DNA damage and help maintain jumping ability.
Key Finding
Inhaling hydrogen-rich gas during recovery after intense exercise reduced DNA oxidation markers and preserved jumping performance compared to placebo, suggesting hydrogen may protect cells from exercise-induced damage.
Summary
In this small study, eight physically active men either inhaled hydrogen-rich gas or regular air for one hour after completing an intense exercise session (running and jumping). Researchers measured markers of cellular damage and tested exercise performance afterward. Hydrogen inhalation reduced DNA damage (measured in urine) and helped preserve jumping ability compared to regular air, though other measures of muscle damage and performance showed no difference.
Practical Takeaway
This early evidence suggests hydrogen gas inhalation during recovery may help reduce cellular damage and maintain jumping ability after hard exercise. However, this was a very small study (8 men) with limited measures of benefit, so much larger research is needed before drawing firm conclusions about whether hydrogen gas offers practical recovery benefits for exercisers.
Abstract (excerpt)
Molecular hydrogen has been suggested to have a cytoprotective effect on the whole body and to enhance exercise performances. However, the effect of hydrogen-rich gas mixture (HG) inhalation on physiological responses has been poorly investigated. We examined the impact of acute HG inhalation…