# Hydrogen Gas as an Exotic Performance-Enhancing Agent: Challenges and Opportunities.
> 運動パフォーマンス向上物質としての水素ガス：現状の課題と今後の展望


## Abstract

This review examined approximately two dozen studies retrieved from major research databases (PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, JSTORE) that investigated the effects of molecular hydrogen on exercise performance. Across delivery routes—inhaled gas, orally consumed hydrogen-rich water, and intravenous hydrogen-rich saline—favorable outcomes were reported for various performance metrics and biomarkers related to exercise-induced fatigue, inflammation, and oxidative stress. However, findings were not uniformly consistent across studies, and no standardized protocol currently exists, with considerable variability in hydrogen dose, administration duration, and hydrogen source. Hydrogen-rich water was identified as the most widely used delivery method in both animal and human studies. The authors conclude that while H2 shows ergogenic promise, further validation through rigorously controlled, adequately powered, and long-term mechanistic trials is warranted. Regulatory considerations regarding hydrogen use in sport as a medical gas were also discussed.

### Mechanism

H2 is proposed to improve exercise performance by reducing oxidative stress, attenuating inflammation, and modulating fatigue-related biomarkers regardless of delivery route, though the precise molecular mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear.

## Bibliographic

- **Authors**: Ostojic SM
- **Journal**: Curr Pharm Des
- **Year**: 2021
- **PMID**: [32962610](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32962610/)
- **DOI**: [10.2174/1381612826666200922155242](https://doi.org/10.2174/1381612826666200922155242)
- **Study type**: review
- **Delivery route**: mixed routes
- **Effect reported**: positive

## 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 32962610. https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/32962610
> **Source**: PubMed PMID [32962610](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32962610/)