Hydrogen Water Reduces Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress in Athletes
- Authors
- Dong-Sung Shin, Sung-Hoon Jung, Eun-Young Hong, Youn-Ho Shin, Jae-Yeo Park, Myung-Hee Chung, Jai Youl Ro
- Journal
- Exercise Science
- Year
- 2018
- DOI
- 10.15857/ksep.2018.27.4.289
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- South Korea
- Health Condition
- Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen water right after exercise might help reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress more effectively than regular water, especially in women.
Key Finding
Drinking hydrogen water after exercise significantly reduced two oxidative stress markers (8-oxo-dG and MDA) in blood, with greater reduction observed in women compared to men.
Summary
This study tested whether drinking hydrogen water after exercise could reduce oxidative stress markers (signs of cellular damage) in the blood. Fifteen adults (7 men and 8 women) exercised on a treadmill, then drank either regular water or hydrogen water (1.2-1.5 ppm concentration). Researchers measured three damage markers in blood samples taken before, immediately after, and at intervals up to 2 hours after exercise. Hydrogen water appeared to reduce two of the three markers (8-oxo-dG and MDA) compared to placebo, with a stronger effect in women than men.
Practical Takeaway
This small study suggests hydrogen water may help reduce exercise-induced oxidative damage, particularly in women. However, the study involved only 15 people and tested a single dose, so larger and longer studies are needed to confirm whether regular hydrogen water consumption provides meaningful health benefits for exercise recovery.
Abstract (excerpt)
PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate whether hydrogen (H2) water drinking reduced oxidative damage products (8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine [8-oxo-dG], malondialdehyde [MDA], L-lactate) produced in blood after exercise-induced oxidative stress. METHODS Men (n=7) and women (n=8) (systolic blood…