Hydrogen Water Boosts Exercise Performance in 2-Week Study
Two-week continuous supplementation of hydrogen-rich water increases peak oxygen uptake during an incremental cycling exercise test in healthy humans: a randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled study
Research hubs: Cardiovascular System · Respiratory System
- Evidence type
- Randomized controlled trial · Human study
- Authors
- Amane Hori, Sayaka Sobue, Ryosuke Kurokawa, Shin-Ichi Hirano, Masatoshi Ichihara, Norio Hotta
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2020
- PMID
- 33380582
- Study Type
- Human
- Delivery
- Water (Electrolysis)
- Dose
- 500 mL hydrogen-rich water on all weekdays for 2 weeks (total 5 L)
- H₂ concentration
- 4.3 ± 0.9 ppm (Exp 1) and 5.9 ± 0.2 ppm (Exp 2)
- Duration
- 2 weeks
- Funding
- No external funding declared
- Conflicts of interest
- RK and SH are employees of MiZ Company Limited. NH received a resource from MiZ Company Limited, which manufactures and markets hydrogen generators.
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water for two weeks can improve the amount of oxygen you can use during intense exercise, potentially enhancing your aerobic exercise performance.
Key Finding
Two weeks of continuous hydrogen-rich water supplementation significantly increased peak oxygen uptake during exercise in healthy adults, while a single dose had no measurable effect.
Summary
Researchers tested whether drinking hydrogen-rich water could improve aerobic fitness (the body's ability to use oxygen during exercise) in healthy people. Participants either drank hydrogen-rich water once or continuously for two weeks, then performed cycling tests to measure their peak oxygen uptake (VO2 max). A single dose had no effect, but two weeks of daily consumption significantly increased peak oxygen uptake, suggesting improved exercise capacity.
Practical Takeaway
This small human study suggests that sustained hydrogen-rich water consumption—not occasional use—may support aerobic exercise performance in healthy people. However, the study's sample size was not reported, making it difficult to assess the strength of these findings. More research with larger groups is needed before drawing firm conclusions about practical benefits.
Abstract (excerpt)
The various beneficial effects of the intake of molecular hydrogen (H2) have been demonstrated in the field of sports science. Although supplementation of H2 has been reported to increase mitochondrial metabolism in animal studies, the effects of the administration of H2 on aerobic capacity during…