The Effect of 14-Day Consumption of Hydrogen-Rich Water Alleviates Fatigue but Does Not Ameliorate Dyspnea in Long-COVID Patients: A Pilot, Single-Blind, and Randomized, Controlled Trial
Tan Y et al. · Nutrients. 2024;16(10):1529.
Study at a glance
Human
Vaccinated, non-hospitalized adults aged 18–65 with persistent fatigue and dyspnea after COVID-19
Freshly prepared hydrogen-rich water, 500 mL in the morning and 500 mL in the evening, consumed within 10 minutes · 1,600 ppb dissolved H₂; pH 7.6, oxidation-reduction potential −590 mV and 22 °C reported.
14 days
Compared with placebo, percent changes favored H₂ water for fatigue (p=0.046), 6-minute walk distance (p<0.001), chair-stand performance (p=0.002) and sleep quality (p=0.012). Dyspnea (p=0.556) and mood scores did not differ significantly.
Small pilot, single blinding, 14-day intervention, home testing with remote administration, multiple outcomes and a secondary percent-change fatigue finding despite a non-significant group-by-time interaction for the primary FSS model.
What kind of evidence is this?
Human
Pilot single-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial
Long COVID
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
Vaccinated, non-hospitalized adults aged 18–65 with persistent fatigue and dyspnea after COVID-19
55 recruited; 32 randomized and completed (16 per group)
14 days
Freshly prepared hydrogen-rich water, 500 mL in the morning and 500 mL in the evening, consumed within 10 minutes
H₂ dissolved in water — H₂ only, not Brown’s gas.
1,600 ppb dissolved H₂; pH 7.6, oxidation-reduction potential −590 mV and 22 °C reported.
Equal amount of pure placebo water in identical packaging
Outcomes and reported result
Fatigue, dyspnea, 6-minute walk, chair stand, sleep quality and mood scales
Compared with placebo, percent changes favored H₂ water for fatigue (p=0.046), 6-minute walk distance (p<0.001), chair-stand performance (p=0.002) and sleep quality (p=0.012). Dyspnea (p=0.556) and mood scores did not differ significantly.
Methods, full outcome tables, funding and conflict statements checked in the open-access full text; independent risk-of-bias appraisal remains incomplete.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Small pilot, single blinding, 14-day intervention, home testing with remote administration, multiple outcomes and a secondary percent-change fatigue finding despite a non-significant group-by-time interaction for the primary FSS model.
Vaccinated, non-hospitalized adults meeting this study’s Long COVID criteria; not hospitalized or medically complex populations.
Cochrane RoB 2 · parallel randomized trial · headline fatigue result
High risk — preliminary for the headline fatigue interpretation
Single blinding, staff administering home assessments knew allocation, and the highlighted fatigue finding comes from a secondary percent-change analysis although the primary group-by-time interaction for FSS was not significant.
Some concerns — Excel random-number generation is described; allocation concealment is not. · Some concerns — participants were blinded, but assessment staff knew group assignment. · Low concern — all 32 randomized participants completed the study. · High risk for subjective fatigue — remotely administered FSS with assessors aware of allocation. · High risk for the headline fatigue result — emphasis on a secondary percent-change analysis despite a non-significant primary interaction.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 38794767 · DOI: 10.3390/nu16101529
Open-access publisher and PMC full texts are available.
Open-access publisher full text, PMC record and PubMed bibliographic record.
10 August 2026
Help people check the facts before they buy.
Hydrogenology keeps 665 source-checked records accessible without advertising or product promotion.
Help us correct the recordReport a discrepancy
Send the exact difference between this page and the linked source. The study reference is attached automatically.