Hydrogen-rich water suppresses the reduction in blood total antioxidant capacity induced by 3 consecutive days of severe exercise in physically active males.

Abstract

Repeated high-intensity sprint exercise disrupts intramuscular redox homeostasis and promotes systemic oxidative stress. This single-blind, crossover randomized controlled trial enrolled eight physically active males who performed three consecutive days of exercise under hydrogen-rich water (HW, 5.14 ppm) or placebo water (PW) conditions, consuming 500 mL before and after each session. Exercise tasks included countermovement jumps, maximal isometric knee extension, and repeated 10-second sprint cycling bouts. Blood samples collected at baseline and 16 hours after each session showed that the ratio of biological antioxidant potential to diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites (BAP/d-ROMs), a marker of systemic antioxidant capacity, progressively declined in the PW condition but was preserved in the HW condition. Muscle performance did not differ significantly between conditions. These findings suggest that daily HW consumption helps maintain redox balance during successive bouts of strenuous exercise and may reduce cumulative muscular fatigue.

Mechanism

Hydrogen molecules are thought to neutralize exercise-induced reactive oxygen species, thereby preventing the progressive decline in systemic antioxidant capacity as measured by the BAP/d-ROMs ratio during consecutive days of intense exercise.