To present the action of hydrogen water, it is necessary to consider its basic component, to which its effects are due, namely molecular hydrogen. It is characterized by an antioxidant effect, having the ability to pass through cell membranes and target cell organelles (e.g. mitochondria) and the nucleus. The antioxidant effect is expressed in the selective reduction of active forms of oxygen.
The first reports about the effects of molecular hydrogen date back to 1975. Experiments with mice with skin cancer were placed in a chamber with increased hydrogen content in pressurized air. The results show a reduction in the scale of the malignant disease. In 2005 Japanese scientists developed a method to produce hydrogen-enriched water. During laboratory research, it is established that its regular application leads to a reduction of oxidative stress.
Interest in hydrogen water is gradually growing. Several studies have been conducted on various diseases – metabolic disorders (diabetes), inflammatory processes, as well as some neurodegenerative diseases. The anti-inflammatory effect is due to the neutralization of radicals, which further potentiate the inflammatory process.
What are the benefits of using hydrogen water for athletes?
Muscle contractility (shortening ability) during high-intensity interval training leads to oxidative stress, which has a fundamental role in the accumulation of lactic acid and as a result, expressed in varying degrees of muscle fatigue and muscle fever. There may also be microtraumatism on the surface.
A pilot study investigated the effects of hydrogen-enriched water on oxidative stress and muscle fatigue resulting from intense exercise. The control groups included ten participants, football training, who are in the age range of 20.9 ± 1.3 years. Exercise tests and blood tests are prescribed. Each participant was examined twice in a cross-over double-blind study design.
Participants receive hydrogen-enriched water or a placebo (tap water) at one-week intervals.
Although intense training led to an increase in blood lactate levels in the subjects who received the placebo product, the oral intake of hydrogen water in the second group prevented the increase in blood lactate during more intense training.
Another study evaluated the effects of exogenous hydrogen intake as part of the immediate treatment of sports-related soft tissue injuries.
The study included 36 professional athletes who were examined by a certified specialist in sports medicine during the first 24 hours after the occurrence of the trauma. The participants are divided into three randomized groups. As patients from the control group, they were treated according to the standard recommendations for the treatment of soft tissue injuries.
The patients in the first experimental group were given the same treatment as in the control group, but with additional administration throughout the study of oral tablets, rich in hydrogen (2 g per day). In the patients of the second experimental group, in addition to oral hydrogen tablets, local compresses with hydrogen were applied (6 times a day, for 20 minutes). Assessment of the patient’s condition was made at the time of the primary examination, after 7 and after 14 days from the occurrence of the trauma.
The results show differences in range of motion recovery between the three following groups. In the group with oral and local application of hydrogen, there is a faster recovery of the physiological range of motion both during flexion and extension of the injured limb, compared to the control group and the one in which only hydrogen tablets were applied.
Bibliography:
1. Pilot study. Effects of the use of hydrogen-enriched water on muscle fatigue resulting from intense training in professional athletes, Aoki K., Nakao A., Adachi T., Matsui Y., Miyakawa S..
2. Effectiveness of topical and oral hydrogen in sports-related soft tissue injuries, Ostojic SM., Vukomanovic B., Calleja-Gonzalez J., Hoffman JR.
