Hydrogen-Rich Gas Enhanced Sprint-Interval Performance: Metabolomic Insights into Underlying Mechanisms
Dong G, Liu H, Chen Y, Bao D, Xu W, Zhou J. · Nutrients. 2024;16(14):2341.
Study at a glance
Human
Healthy recreationally active adult men accustomed to regular resistance training.
Nasal-cannula inhalation for 60 minutes before a four-bout Wingate sprint-interval test. · Generator output 30 mL/s (1,800 mL/min total): 66.7% H₂ and 33.3% O₂. Because room air diluted the stream, the authors estimated at most 4.08% inspired H₂ and 21.66% inspired O₂; concentrations entering participants were not measured.
60 minutes before each test visit.
Fourth-sprint mean power, fatigue index and time-to-peak favored HRG; fourth-sprint peak power was null (p=0.064). First-to-fourth attenuation favored HRG for mean/peak power and time-to-peak, while attenuation in fatigue index was null (p=0.820). Four selected metabolites and pathway analyses were exploratory; no adverse effects were reported.
Very small male-only crossover, multiple performance comparisons and exploratory metabolomics. The true inspired concentrations were estimated rather than measured, and only late-sprint outcomes improved. The authors reported no external funding and declared no conflicts.
What kind of evidence is this?
Human
Double-blind counterbalanced randomized placebo-controlled crossover study
Exercise and recovery
Inhaled H₂
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
Healthy recreationally active adult men accustomed to regular resistance training.
10 men; mean age 23.6±2.2 years. All completed both visits.
60 minutes before each test visit.
Nasal-cannula inhalation for 60 minutes before a four-bout Wingate sprint-interval test.
Brown's gas / oxyhydrogen — H₂ and O₂ co-delivered in a 2:1 ratio, not H₂ alone.
Generator output 30 mL/s (1,800 mL/min total): 66.7% H₂ and 33.3% O₂. Because room air diluted the stream, the authors estimated at most 4.08% inspired H₂ and 21.66% inspired O₂; concentrations entering participants were not measured.
Approximately 1,200 mL/min H₂, calculated from two-thirds of the reported 1,800 mL/min generator output.
Approximately 600 mL/min O₂ co-delivered, calculated from one-third of the generator output.
Ambient air delivered through an identical nasal-cannula setup; visit order randomized with at least seven days washout.
Outcomes and reported result
Fourth-sprint and first-to-fourth attenuation in mean/peak power, fatigue index and time-to-peak, adverse effects and exploratory plasma metabolomics.
Fourth-sprint mean power, fatigue index and time-to-peak favored HRG; fourth-sprint peak power was null (p=0.064). First-to-fourth attenuation favored HRG for mean/peak power and time-to-peak, while attenuation in fatigue index was null (p=0.820). Four selected metabolites and pathway analyses were exploratory; no adverse effects were reported.
The complete MDPI/PMC article, gas generator specification, calculated component flows, randomization, all sprint outcomes, metabolomics, adverse effects, funding and conflicts were checked; both null performance tests are explicit.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Very small male-only crossover, multiple performance comparisons and exploratory metabolomics. The true inspired concentrations were estimated rather than measured, and only late-sprint outcomes improved. The authors reported no external funding and declared no conflicts.
Healthy active young men performing this laboratory sprint protocol; not evidence for long-term training adaptation or treatment of illness.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 39064785 · DOI: 10.3390/nu16142341
Open-access full article on MDPI and PubMed Central.
MDPI and PMC full article plus PubMed metadata; full-text and article-status check completed 8 August 2026.
10 August 2026
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