Hydrogen Water Reduces Exercise Fatigue by Activating Antioxidant Pathways
- Authors
- Yinyin Zhang, Yajing Ying, Xianpeng Zu, Lingling Ding, Xuan Shi, Jing Wang, Xiangtong Li, Chujian Li, Qicheng Zhou, Hui Shen, Hongxia Li, Hongtao Lu, Jin Cheng
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.4103/mgr.MEDGASRES-D-24-00148
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Exercise-Induced Fatigue
- Body System
- Muscular
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich water reduced exercise fatigue in mice by protecting muscles and activating a key anti-oxidative stress pathway.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water reduced exercise-induced fatigue in mice by activating a cellular antioxidant pathway (IRG1-itaconate/Nrf2/HO-1), lowering fatigue biomarkers and alleviating muscle damage.
Summary
Researchers gave mice hydrogen-rich water and found it reduced exercise-induced fatigue by activating a specific cellular pathway that protects against oxidative stress (damage from harmful molecules produced during exercise). The hydrogen-rich water improved muscle function, lowered fatigue markers in the blood, and reduced muscle damage. The study identified the molecular mechanism: hydrogen appears to work by triggering a chain of protective proteins that reduce oxidative stress in muscle cells.
Practical Takeaway
This mouse study provides early molecular evidence that hydrogen-rich water may help with exercise recovery by reducing oxidative stress. However, this is a preliminary animal study, and human trials would be needed to determine if these effects translate to people. The findings are interesting but not yet sufficient to make claims about athletic performance in humans.
Abstract
Exercise-induced fatigue limits athletic performance. Molecular hydrogen is an effective treatment for relieving fatigue, but the exact mechanism is not clear. In our study, a mouse model of fatigue was established to explore the molecular mechanism by which hydrogen-rich water reduces exercise-induced fatigue. The results showed that hydrogen-rich water improved the motor function of fatigue mice, reduced the levels of fatigue-related biomarkers (blood urea nitrogen, lactate, and creatine kinase), and alleviated gastrocnemius muscle injury. Furthermore, ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that hydrogen-rich water upregulated the expression of immune response gene 1 (IRG1), increased the abnormally reduced levels of itaconic acid due to fatigue, and subsequently activated the downstream nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) pathway. Finally, C2C12 cells exposed to an IRG1 inhibitor (IRG1-IN) or 4-octyl itaconic acid (4-OI) were treated with hydrogen-rich water, indicating that hydrogen-rich water effectively upregulated the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in cells. In summary, hydrogen-rich water alleviates exercise-induced fatigue by activating the IRG1-itaconic acid/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and inhibiting oxidative stress.