# Hydrogen gas: from clinical medicine to an emerging ergogenic molecule for sports athletes.
> 水素ガスの臨床医学からスポーツ選手向けエルゴジェニック分子としての可能性に関するレビュー


## Abstract

This review examines the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of molecular hydrogen (H₂) in the context of exercise medicine. Both chronic high-intensity training in elite athletes and sporadic intense exercise in untrained individuals can generate inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular damage. Paradoxically, exercise-induced reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines also mediate beneficial training adaptations, and conventional antioxidant or anti-inflammatory supplementation may impair these adaptations. H₂ administration appears to counteract redox dysregulation and chronic inflammation while supporting cytoprotective hormesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, ATP production, elevated NAD⁺/NADH ratios, phase II enzyme induction, heat-shock proteins, and sirtuin activation. The authors propose that H₂ may function as an exercise mimetic and redox adaptogen, capable of amplifying the benefits of moderate exercise and attenuating harm from excessive exercise. Further controlled research is needed to clarify its ergogenic potential.

### Mechanism

H₂ is proposed to modulate redox homeostasis by supporting mitochondrial biogenesis, ATP synthesis, increased NAD⁺/NADH ratios, cytoprotective phase II enzyme induction, heat-shock protein expression, and sirtuin activation, collectively promoting a hormetic cytoprotective response.

## Bibliographic

- **Authors**: LeBaron TW, Laher I, Kura B, Slezak J
- **Journal**: Can J Physiol Pharmacol
- **Year**: 2019
- **PMID**: [30970215](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30970215/)
- **DOI**: [10.1139/cjpp-2019-0067](https://doi.org/10.1139/cjpp-2019-0067)
- **Study type**: review
- **Delivery route**: mixed routes
- **Effect reported**: not assessed

## Delivery context

This study combines multiple delivery routes. As a general principle, the most efficient route for routine hydrogen intake is inhalation. Inhalation carries explosion risk (empirical LFL of 10%; high-concentration devices are documented in the Consumer Affairs Agency accident database and are not recommended).

## Safety notes

This study combines multiple delivery routes. As a general principle, the most efficient route for routine hydrogen intake is inhalation. Inhalation carries explosion risk (empirical LFL of 10%; high-concentration devices are documented in the Consumer Affairs Agency accident database and are not recommended).

See also:
- [Inhalation concentration and LFL / UFL](https://h2-papers.org/en/safety-notes/inhalation-concentration)
- [Consumer Affairs Agency accident cases](https://h2-papers.org/en/safety-notes/accident-cases)
- [Inhalation safety threshold lineage](https://h2-papers.org/en/safety-notes/lineage)

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> **Cite as**: H2 Papers — PMID 30970215. https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/30970215
> **Source**: PubMed PMID [30970215](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30970215/)