Molecular Hydrogen for Exercise Recovery

Research suggests that molecular hydrogen may offer modest benefits for exercise recovery, though the evidence remains limited and mixed. The most directly relevant study — a small double-blind crossover trial in eight physically active men — found that hydrogen gas inhalation after strenuous exercise reduced a urinary marker of DNA oxidative damage and attenuated declines in jump performance, though other measures of muscle damage, oxidative stress, and exercise performance were unchanged. A second crossover study in ten men found that consuming a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink dissolved in alkaline electrolyzed water reduced blood lactate during submaximal running in hot conditions, but did not improve sprint performance or oxidative stress markers compared to purified water. Taken together, the available human trial evidence is based on very small sample sizes, uses different delivery methods and outcome measures, and shows only partial benefits in select outcomes, meaning no firm conclusions can be drawn about the practical utility of molecular hydrogen for exercise recovery at this time. The remaining studies provided are unrelated to molecular hydrogen or exercise and do not contribute to this assessment.