In the world of sports, top-notch performance is the ultimate goal for professional athletes. When athletes engage in intense exercise, it can lead to the production of something called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can throw off the body’s natural balance and create oxidative stress. This increased ROS can damage cell membranes and mess with cellular mitochondria, which in turn can make athletes feel more tired and perform less effectively.
Because of this, many athletes are turning to certain substances to help their bodies counteract these effects. These substances can boost the body’s antioxidant defenses and improve both aerobic (oxygen-based) and anaerobic (without oxygen) metabolism. Ultimately, this helps athletes perform better overall. One of the latest trends gaining attention among athletes worldwide is something called hydrogen water.
The Science Behind Hydrogen Water
Hydrogen is a powerful antioxidant because it can quickly enter our body’s tissues and cells. What sets it apart from many other antioxidant supplements is its ability to easily get through the protective barriers of our cells and reach important places like the mitochondria and the nucleus. There are different ways to get hydrogen into our body, like inhaling hydrogen gas or drinking hydrogen-infused water. However, the easiest and safest way is to simply drink hydrogen water.
How Does Hydrogen Water Benefit Athletes?
1. Improved Exercise Performance
Hydrogen water has positive improvements in endurance, strength and athletic performance.
~ Dr. Rafael Timon from Universidad de Extremadura, Spain~
Rafael Timón and his team conducted an experiment to see how drinking hydrogen water for a week affects people’s physical performance. They tested both trained athletes and people who weren’t as used to exercise. The participants drank hydrogen water every day during the study, and the researchers looked at things like how long they could keep going, how strong they were, and how well they performed in sports.
What they found was that drinking hydrogen water had a positive impact on physical performance for both groups. It seemed to improve things like endurance, strength, and overall athletic abilities. This could be because hydrogen water has antioxidants that help reduce stress and inflammation in the body. So, it suggests that even just drinking hydrogen water for a short time could be good for your physical performance.
2. Improved Recovery Time
Hydrogen water enhances an athlete’s power output during exercise and improves heart rate recovery.
~ Gengxin Dong from Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China~
For athletes, recovering well is super important because it affects how they perform and helps prevent injuries. In a small study led by Gengxin Dong and his team, they checked how drinking hydrogen water for a short time affected the performance and recovery of dragon boat athletes. What they found was that drinking hydrogen water made these athletes more powerful during their workouts and helped their hearts recover faster after exercise. This might be because hydrogen water has antioxidants that reduce stress in the body and make recovery quicker. So, it suggests that hydrogen water could be a helpful thing for these athletes.
3. Reduced Inflammation
Hydrogen helps to reduce inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular stress during acute physical exercise.
~ Pro. Jonatas E Nogueira from University of São Paulo, Brazil~
When we exercise, our bodies naturally respond with inflammation to cope with the stress. But too much inflammation can be a problem, slowing down recovery and hurting performance. In a study led by Jonatas E Nogueira and his team, they looked into how a molecule called hydrogen (H2) could help with this issue in sedentary rats. They had these rats run on a treadmill while breathing in either hydrogen or control gas. What they discovered was that the rats inhaling hydrogen had lower levels of inflammation and oxidative stress markers in their blood. Plus, hydrogen seemed to reduce a specific marker that indicates cellular stress caused by exercise. These findings suggest that hydrogen might have a significant role in reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular stress when rats are exercising intensely.
4. Neuroprotection
Hydrogen water improves mood and anxiety levels, both metal and physical well-being.
~ Dr. Akihiro T Sasaki from KDDI Research, Inc, Japan~
Hydrogen water isn’t just good for physical performance; it can also help your brain. It might protect your brain and keep it sharp, which can be really useful for athletes who need to stay focused and clear-headed, especially in high-pressure situations. In a study by Akihiro T Sasaki and his team, they looked at how drinking hydrogen-rich water (HRW) for 4 weeks affected adults. The results were pretty positive. It improved people’s mood and helped them feel less anxious, possibly by reducing stress and inflammation in the central nervous system. Plus, it seemed to make their brains work better and their bodies more relaxed when they weren’t exercising. Overall, it suggests that HRW could be a good way to boost both mental and physical well-being.
The excitement about hydrogen water among athletes shows that it has some exciting potential benefits. Hydrogen water’s antioxidants could help with better exercise performance, quicker recovery, less inflammation, and maybe even boost brainpower. For athletes always looking to up their game and be at their best, hydrogen water is definitely something worth checking out.
Ready to try Soyoshi hydrogen products? Check out Soyoshi Hydrogen Water Generator and Soyoshi Hydrogen Inhalation Machine below:
Soyoshi Hydrogen Water Generator
The journey to good health is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Pace yourself, and enjoy the ride. You can now maximize the amount of hydrogen in your Soyoshi Hydrogen Water Generator and enjoy hydrogen water every day!
Soyoshi Hydrogen Inhalation Machine
Let’s embrace healthy living not just as a fleeting trend, but as a lifestyle choice that transcends time. Soyoshi hydrogen inhalation machine produces hydrogen gas with a purity of 99.99%!
References
Dong G, Fu J, Bao D, Zhou J. Short-Term Consumption of Hydrogen-Rich Water Enhances Power Performance and Heart Rate Recovery in Dragon Boat Athletes: Evidence from a Pilot Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 29;19(9):5413. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095413. PMID: 35564808; PMCID: PMC9104058.
Timón R, Olcina G, González-Custodio A, Camacho-Cardenosa M, Camacho-Cardenosa A, Martínez Guardado I. Effects of 7-day intake of hydrogen-rich water on physical performance of trained and untrained subjects. Biol Sport. 2021 Jun;38(2):269-275. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2020.98625. Epub 2020 Oct 22. PMID: 34079172; PMCID: PMC8139351.
Nogueira JE, Passaglia P, Mota CMD, Santos BM, Batalhão ME, Carnio EC, Branco LGS. Molecular hydrogen reduces acute exercise-induced inflammatory and oxidative stress status. Free Radic Biol Med. 2018 Dec;129:186-193. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2018.09.028. Epub 2018 Sep 19. PMID: 30243702.
4. Mizuno K, Sasaki AT, Ebisu K, Tajima K, Kajimoto O, Nojima J, Kuratsune H, Hori H, Watanabe Y. Hydrogen-rich water for improvements of mood, anxiety, and autonomic nerve function in daily life. Med Gas Res. 2018 Jan 22;7(4):247-255. doi: 10.4103/2045-9912.222448. PMID: 29497485; PMCID: PMC5806445.
