Printed in Analysis in Sports activities Drugs, the examine is the primary to judge the consequences of hydrogen-rich water in beforehand untrained middle-aged adults, with enhancements in hormonal and lipid profiles additionally famous.
The researchers from the College of Novi Unhappy, Serbia, mentioned the findings assist earlier findings on the ergogenic results of hydrogen in middle-aged and older adults, increasing the physique of proof to offer a extra complete understanding of this comparatively novel complement.
“Our examine exhibits that ingesting hydrogen-rich water for six weeks might assist middle-aged women and men who’re new to train higher tolerate muscle injury attributable to resistance coaching,” co-author Sergej Ostojic instructed NutraIngredients.
“Whereas additional research are wanted in broader populations, hydrogen-rich water seems to be a promising and accessible choice for supporting train adaptation in adults over the age of fifty who’re simply beginning a health program.”
What’s hydrogen-rich water?
Hydrogen-rich water is common water infused with molecular hydrogen gasoline (H2). This added hydrogen is believed to convey have antioxidant properties, serving to to neutralize free radicals and scale back oxidative stress.
These properties are regarded as useful throughout bodily train, which will increase reactive oxygen species in skeletal muscle, resulting in tissue injury and fatigue.
Analysis on the advantages of hydrogen-rich water in sports activities efficiency thus far, nonetheless, has produced inconclusive outcomes. For instance, one examine on cyclists discovered that seven-day consumption of hydrogen-rich water improved anaerobic performance in educated athletes, whereas one other in runners discovered that hydrogen-rich water had an unclear effect on race time and minimal impression on coronary heart price.
With important variations seen between educated and untrained people, the researchers got down to uncover whether or not hydrogen consumption might result in improved muscle efficiency and lowered exercise-induced injury in exercise-naïve adults.
Examine particulars
To conduct their examine, the researchers randomized 27 adults between the ages of fifty and 65 to both hydrogen-rich water or a daily water placebo for six weeks.
Each teams participated in a supervised resistance coaching program, involving two to 3 periods per week. Varied markers had been then used to evaluate train efficiency, and blood samples had been taken to investigate muscular injury biomarkers, in addition to hormone and lipid profile adjustments.
Whereas muscular efficiency didn’t enhance in comparison with the management group, the hydrogen-rich water considerably outperformed the management water in decreasing biomarkers of acute muscular injury.
Helpful hormonal responses had been additionally famous, with small will increase in free testosterone and cortisol ranges after the six-week intervention.
The intervention arm additionally noticed important enhancements in 5 out of seven domains of sleep high quality, with no enhancements noticed within the management group.
These advantages could also be attributed to hydrogen’s means to guard muscular tissues from oxidative injury, in accordance with Ostojic.
“Hydrogen probably acts as a selective antioxidant, penetrating muscle cell membranes and neutralizing dangerous molecules corresponding to peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals that may injury muscle fibers,” he mentioned. “Along with this antioxidant position, hydrogen may affect hormonal responses and assist mitochondrial perform.
“Nevertheless, extra analysis is required to completely perceive how hydrogen works on the molecular stage, particularly contemplating its small measurement and brief lifespan inside cells, which make its organic actions complicated to decipher.”
Who may benefit from hydrogen-rich water?
Given its established security profile, the researchers conclude that hydrogen-rich water might be a ‘risk-free’ beverage choice for older exercise-naïve women and men.
“Recommending this mix might be essential in addressing training-specific acute diversifications in novice people,” they wrote.
Nevertheless, additional analysis is crucial to validate these findings throughout numerous populations, famous Ostojic.
“Future research ought to give attention to giant, well-controlled trials involving completely different populations and forms of bodily exercise,” he mentioned.
“It’s essential to standardize how a lot hydrogen is used and to measure its precise focus on the time of consumption. Lengthy-term security, particular person responses and the way HRW compares to different well being methods should be studied. Actual-world trials will assist assess how sensible and efficient HRW is in day by day life.”
“I additionally imagine that individuals who naturally produce much less hydrogen of their intestine might profit extra from HRW, so learning variations between responders and non-responders is a vital subsequent step,” he added.
Supply: Analysis in Sports activities Drugs. doi: 10.1080/15438627.2025.2521474. “The results of ingesting hydrogen-rich water for six weeks on exercise-related biomarkers in exercise-naïve women and men over 50 years following resistance coaching program: a randomized managed pilot trial.” Authors: J. Kuzmanovic, et al.
