Acute pre-exercise hydrogen rich water intake does not improve running performance at maximal aerobic speed in trained track and field runners
Valenta M et al. · PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0279307.
Study at a glance
Human
Trained male track-and-field runners at national level
1,260 mL hydrogen-rich water in four doses before running: 420 mL at 120 and 60 minutes, then 210 mL at 30 and 10 minutes · 0.9 ppm dissolved H₂; total reported dose 567 µmol H₂.
Two experimental sessions with a 1-week washout; acute pre-exercise exposure
No statistically significant differences were reported for time to exhaustion (217 ± 49 vs 227 ± 53 s; p=0.20), post-exercise lactate, maximal heart rate, oxygen uptake or the other measured cardiorespiratory variables.
Acute, male-only, specialized maximal-aerobic-speed protocol. A null result in this experiment does not establish absence of effects in other populations, doses or exercise protocols.
What kind of evidence is this?
Human
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
Exercise and recovery
H₂-rich water
Information not yet classified
Some editorial classification fields are still pending. The source-reported outcomes and result are shown below; Hydrogenology does not infer a positive or negative signal from prose automatically.
Methods
Trained male track-and-field runners at national level
24 participants
Two experimental sessions with a 1-week washout; acute pre-exercise exposure
1,260 mL hydrogen-rich water in four doses before running: 420 mL at 120 and 60 minutes, then 210 mL at 30 and 10 minutes
H₂ dissolved in water — H₂ only, not Brown’s gas.
0.9 ppm dissolved H₂; total reported dose 567 µmol H₂.
Visually identical placebo water with 0.0 ppm dissolved H₂
Outcomes and reported result
Running time and distance to exhaustion at maximal aerobic speed, heart rate, ventilation, oxygen uptake and blood lactate
No statistically significant differences were reported for time to exhaustion (217 ± 49 vs 227 ± 53 s; p=0.20), post-exercise lactate, maximal heart rate, oxygen uptake or the other measured cardiorespiratory variables.
Methods, full outcome table and conclusions checked in the open-access full text; independent appraisal remains incomplete.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Acute, male-only, specialized maximal-aerobic-speed protocol. A null result in this experiment does not establish absence of effects in other populations, doses or exercise protocols.
Trained male middle-distance runners performing an exhaustive run at their individually determined maximal aerobic speed.
Cochrane RoB 2 crossover variant · time-to-exhaustion result
Some concerns — preliminary; independent reviewer pending
The randomized double-blind crossover design and objective outcomes are strengths, but allocation by paper-strip draw, concealment, period effects and absence of a linked prospective protocol require review.
Some concerns — block allocation by paper-strip draw is described; concealment may be vulnerable. · Low to some concerns — matched packaging and double blinding are described. · Low concern in the displayed report — 24 participants are analyzed. · Low concern — time, gas-exchange and laboratory measures are objective. · Some concerns — no linked prospective protocol or analysis plan was identified.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 36538554 · DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279307
Open-access publisher and PMC full texts are available.
Open-access full text through Europe PMC/PMC and PubMed bibliographic record.
10 August 2026
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