Hydrogen Water Reduces Fatigue in Long-COVID Patients After 14 Days
The Effect of 14-Day Consumption of Hydrogen-Rich Water Alleviates Fatigue but Does Not Ameliorate Dyspnea in Long-COVID Patients: A Pilot, Single-Blind, and Randomized, Controlled Trial
Research hubs: Chronic Fatigue · Sleep Quality · Respiratory System · Musculoskeletal System
- Evidence type
- Randomized controlled trial · Human study
- Authors
- Yineng Tan, Yixun Xie, Gengxin Dong, Mingyue Yin, Zhangyuting Shang, Kaixiang Zhou, Dapeng Bao, Junhong Zhou
- Journal
- Nutrients
- Year
- 2024
- PMID
- 38794767
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 32
- Delivery
- Water (Electrolysis)
- Dose
- hydrogen-rich water consumption for 14 consecutive days
- H₂ concentration
- 1600 ppb
- Duration
- 2 weeks
- Funding
- No external funding declared
- Conflicts of interest
- None declared
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 12 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water for two weeks helped reduce fatigue and improve physical function and sleep in people with Long COVID, but it didn't help with their shortness of breath.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water consumption for 14 days significantly reduced fatigue and improved physical endurance and sleep quality in Long-COVID patients, but did not improve shortness of breath.
Summary
In this 14-day study, 32 Long-COVID patients either drank hydrogen-rich water or regular water. Researchers measured fatigue, breathing difficulty, physical function, sleep quality, and mood before and after. Hydrogen-rich water reduced fatigue and improved walking distance, leg strength, and sleep quality compared to placebo, but did not improve shortness of breath or mood symptoms.
Practical Takeaway
This small pilot study suggests hydrogen-rich water may help with fatigue and physical function in Long-COVID, but the results are preliminary—only 32 people participated and the study lasted just two weeks. The finding that it didn't help with breathing difficulty suggests hydrogen water may not be a universal Long-COVID treatment. More research with larger groups and longer follow-up is needed before drawing firm conclusions.
Abstract (excerpt)
(1) Background: Hydrogen (H2) may be a potential therapeutic agent for managing Long COVID symptoms due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, more scientific literature is needed to describe the effects of H2 administration on treating symptoms. A study aimed to investigate…