Hydrogen Therapy Reduces Exercise Damage in Untrained Athletes

When people do really intense workouts they're not used to, their bodies can get damaged by something called oxidative stress—but a gas called molecular hydrogen might help protect them by reducing that damage and swelling.

Molecular hydrogen shows promise as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that may help reduce harmful effects of exhaustive exercise, though more research is needed to determine how best to use it and whether it works across different types of exercise.

This review examined research on molecular hydrogen (H2), a gas that acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, and its potential to reduce harmful stress and inflammation caused by exhaustive exercise in people who aren't used to intense physical activity. The researchers looked at studies in both animals and humans to understand how hydrogen might help protect the body during strenuous exercise.

While this review suggests molecular hydrogen may help reduce exercise-related oxidative stress and inflammation, it is a summary of existing research rather than a new study with definitive results. Most evidence comes from animal studies or small human trials, so it's too early to make specific recommendations about hydrogen water for exercise recovery. More rigorous human studies are needed before clinical applications can be established.

Physical exercise-induced oxidative stress and inflammation may be beneficial when exercise is a regular activity, but it is rather harmful when exercise is exhaustive and performed by unaccustomed organisms. Molecular hydrogen (H2 ) has recently appeared as a potent antioxidant…

Read the full abstract on PubMed