Acute ingestion of hydrogen-rich water does not improve incremental treadmill running performance in endurance-trained athletes.

Abstract

This double-blind, crossover randomized controlled trial enrolled 14 endurance-trained male runners (mean age 34 years, body mass 63.1 kg) to evaluate whether acute ingestion of hydrogen-rich water (H-water) influences physiological responses and running performance. Participants consumed two 290-mL boluses of H-water or placebo: one before six submaximal 4-minute running stages and one before an incremental test to exhaustion. Cardiorespiratory variables, ratings of perceived exertion, and blood gas indices were comparable between conditions across submaximal intensities (34%–91% VO2max). Time to exhaustion (618 vs. 619 s), maximal oxygen uptake (~57 mL·kg·min), peak heart rate (184 beat·min), and perceived exertion scores were statistically indistinguishable between H-water and placebo trials. The findings indicate that this dosing regimen of H-water neither enhances endurance running capacity nor modulates buffering capacity during high-intensity exercise in trained athletes.

Mechanism

H-water was hypothesized to modulate acid-base buffering during intense exercise; however, two 290-mL doses produced no measurable changes in blood gas indices or cardiorespiratory parameters compared with placebo.