Hydrogen Water Boosts Sprint Performance in Soccer Players
- Authors
- Michal Botek, Deepesh Khanna, Jakub Krejčí, Michal Valenta, Andrew McKune, Barbora Sládečková, Iva Klimešová
- Journal
- Nutrients
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.3390/nu14030508
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Czech Republic
- Health Condition
- Exercise Fatigue
- Body System
- Muscular
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water before exercising helped professional soccer players run faster during the last few sprints of a repeated sprint test.
Key Finding
Professional soccer players who consumed hydrogen-rich water before exercise showed 2.7–3.4% faster sprint times during the final sprints compared to placebo, despite no significant changes in blood lactate or perceived exertion.
Summary
This study tested whether hydrogen-rich water (water infused with hydrogen gas) could help professional soccer players perform better during repeated sprints. Sixteen young male soccer players completed 15 sprints of 30 meters each, with short rest periods between sprints, on two separate days—once after drinking hydrogen-rich water and once after drinking a placebo (fake) drink. Players who drank hydrogen-rich water ran slightly faster during their final sprints (about 2.7–3.4% faster at 15 meters and 1.9% faster at 30 meters) compared to placebo, but their blood lactate levels and how hard they felt they were working didn't differ between the two conditions.
Practical Takeaway
This small study in elite athletes suggests hydrogen-rich water may help maintain sprint speed during repeated high-intensity efforts, particularly toward the end of exercise. However, the findings are limited to 16 professional soccer players, and it's unclear whether benefits would apply to recreational athletes or other sports. More research is needed to understand how hydrogen-rich water works and whether these results hold up in larger, longer studies.
Abstract
Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) supplementation has been shown to have an antifatigue effect across different modes of exercise. However, its effect on repeated sprint performance is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of pre-exercise HRW consumption on repeated sprint performance, lactate, and perceptual responses using a repeated sprint protocol. This randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled, crossover study included 16 professional, male soccer players aged 18.8 ± 1.2 years. Athletes performed two indoor tests, particularly 15 × 30 m track sprints interspersed by 20 s of recovery, separated by a 1-week washout period. Sprint time was measured at 15 m and 30 m. Ratings of perceived exertion were assessed immediately after each sprint, and post-exercise blood lactate concentration was measured after the last sprint. There were significantly faster sprint times after HRW consumption compared with placebo at 15 m for the 14th and 15th sprints, representing improvements in time of 3.4% and 2.7%, respectively. Sprint time at 30 m also significantly improved by 1.9% in the HRW group in the last sprint. However, neither lactate concentrations nor ratings of perceived exertion were significantly different between HRW and placebo. Pre-exercise HRW supplementation is associated with an increased ability to reduce fatigue, especially during the later stages of repeated sprint exercise.