Hydrogen Supplement Boosts High-Intensity Exercise Performance
- Authors
- Ahad Abdulkarim D. Alharbi, Noriaki Iwamoto, Naoyuki Ebine, Satoshi Nakae, Tatsuya Hojo, Yoshiyuki Fukuoka
- Journal
- Nutrients
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.3390/nu14193974
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Exercise Performance
- Body System
- Muscular
TL;DR
Taking a single dose of a hydrogen-rich supplement before exercise may boost performance during high-intensity workouts and help muscles recover faster.
Key Finding
A single dose of hydrogen-rich calcium powder increased peak power output by about 23 watts during the first high-intensity exercise bout and enhanced muscle oxygen extraction compared to placebo.
Summary
This study tested whether a single dose of hydrogen-rich supplement taken before exercise could improve high-intensity interval training (HIIT) performance in 10 trained athletes. Researchers measured muscle oxygen levels and power output during intense cycling bursts. The hydrogen supplement group produced more peak power in the first exercise bout and showed better oxygen extraction in their muscles compared to the placebo group, though heart rate responses were similar between groups.
Practical Takeaway
This small human study suggests hydrogen supplementation may support short-term performance during intense exercise, but the findings are based on just 10 trained athletes receiving a single dose. Larger studies are needed to confirm whether these benefits persist with repeated use or apply to untrained individuals and different exercise types.
Abstract
This research examined the effects of single-dose molecular hydrogen (H2) supplements on acid-base status and local muscle deoxygenation during rest, high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) performance, and recovery. Ten healthy, trained subjects in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design received H2-rich calcium powder (HCP) (1500 mg, containing 2.544 μg of H2) or H2-depleted placebo (1500 mg) supplements 1 h pre-exercise. They performed six bouts of 7 s all-out pedaling (HIIT) at 7.5% of body weight separated by 40 s pedaling intervals, followed by a recovery period. Blood gases' pH, PCO2, and HCO3- concentrations were measured at rest. Muscle deoxygenation (deoxy[Hb + Mb]) and tissue O2 saturation (StO2) were determined via time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy in the vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles from rest to recovery. At rest, the HCP group had significantly higher PCO2 and HCO3- concentrations and a slight tendency toward acidosis. During exercise, the first HIIT bout's peak power was significantly higher in HCP (839 ± 112 W) vs. Placebo (816 ± 108 W, p = 0.001), and HCP had a notable effect on significantly increased deoxy[Hb + Mb] concentration during HIIT exercise, despite no differences in heart rate response. The HCP group showed significantly greater O2 extraction in VL and microvascular (Hb) volume in RF during HIIT exercise. The HIIT exercise provided significantly improved blood flow and muscle reoxygenation rates in both the RF and VL during passive recovery compared to rest in all groups. The HCP supplement might exert ergogenic effects on high-intensity exercise and prove advantageous for improving anaerobic HIIT exercise performance.