Hydrogen Water Baths Reduce Muscle Soreness After Intense Exercise
- Authors
- Nikola Todorovic, Dejan Javorac, Valdemar Stajer, Sergej M. Ostojic
- Journal
- Journal of Sports Medicine
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.1155/2020/8836070
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Serbia
- Health Condition
- Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
- Body System
- Musculoskeletal
TL;DR
Bathing in hydrogen-rich water (HRW) after intense exercise may reduce muscle damage and soreness without causing side effects.
Key Finding
A single 30-minute bath in hydrogen-rich water prevented the typical increase in muscle damage biomarkers (creatine kinase, aldolase, and aspartate transaminase) at 24 hours after intense exercise and reduced muscle soreness perception compared to a regular water bath.
Summary
This small study tested whether bathing in hydrogen-rich water could help young men recover from intense exercise that causes muscle soreness. Six men did exercises designed to cause muscle damage, then either soaked in hydrogen-rich water or regular water for 30 minutes. Researchers measured muscle damage markers in the blood and asked participants to rate their soreness. The hydrogen-rich water bath appeared to prevent the typical rise in muscle damage markers and reduced soreness perception compared to regular water, with no reported side effects.
Practical Takeaway
This pilot study in just six young men suggests hydrogen-rich water bathing may support muscle recovery after intense exercise, but the very small sample size and lack of longer-term follow-up mean much more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions. The findings are promising enough to warrant larger studies, but individual results may vary.
Abstract
High-intensity eccentric exercise can cause a delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), a short-term condition characterized by muscle damage and tenderness that might hold up recovery and jeopardize exercise routine. Previous studies indicated that hydrogen-rich water (HRW) might be a helpful topical intervention to boost recovery in musculoskeletal medicine, yet no data are available concerning the effectiveness and safety of whole-body bathing with supersaturated HRW after DOMS-inducing exercise. This study evaluates the effects of a single-session bathing with HRW on biochemical markers of muscular damage in healthy young men. The six volunteers who were exposed to DOMS-inducing eccentric exercise were assigned to either supersaturated HRW or control whole-body bathing in a double-blind crossover design. Immediately after an exercise session, the participants were immersed up to the neck into a 200 L bathtub with supersaturated HRW (8 mg of H2 per L) or control water (no hydrogen) for 30 min. Blood biomarkers of inflammation and muscular damage and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores for muscle soreness were assessed at baseline (before exercise) and at 24-hour follow-up. Two-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference between two groups in serum creatine kinase (CK) response over the period of intervention ( P = 0.04 ). A single-session bathing in HRW prevented a rise in circulating biomarkers of muscular damage induced by exercise at 24-hour follow-up, retaining the levels of all biomarkers similar to the baseline values ( P > 0.05 ). On the other hand, serum CK, aldolase, and aspartate transaminase were significantly elevated at 24-hour follow-up as compared to the baseline levels after the control bath (342 ± 309 U/L vs. 465 ± 295 U/L; P > 0.05 ). HRW bath also induced a significant drop in VAS scores for muscle soreness in comparison with control water, both immediately after an intervention (32.7 ± 8.6% vs. 20.0 ± 12.8%; P = 0.02 ) and at 24-hour follow-up (31.6 ± 24.3% vs. 22.4 ± 27.5%; P = 0.03 ), respectively. No participants reported any major side effects during the trial. This pilot study suggests that the whole-body bathing in supersaturated HRW is a safe procedure that attenuates muscular damage and can ease sore muscles after high-intensity eccentric exercise.