Hydrogen Water (H2) Improves Athletic & Workout Performance

Imagine if you could improve your athletic & workout performance just by drinking water. Wouldn’t it be a game-changer?

 

Rejoice, because the H₂ water has now made it possible. It does this by limiting lactate build-up and spiking up the rate at which your cells produce energy. Don’t take our word for it - we have included multiple science-backed studies in this article to give you some insight into promising results achieved through hydrogen-enriched water.

Whether you’re 20 or 60, a walker or a runner, an athlete or a gym-goer, it’s natural to wish for something that would boost your stamina, leading to better overall performance, which ultimately translates to faster results.

 

GET MORE VALUE OUT OF EVERY WORKOUT

When your body is in physical overdrive, any exercise can induce oxidation and lactic buildup on your muscles. Normally, you’d just sit down and relax until the effect wears out, but what if you could recover faster and get more value out of every run or workout?

That’s what molecular hydrogen offers. And the best way to integrate lots of hydrogen into your diet is by drinking “Hydrogen Water”. It’s essentially plain water with more hydrogen gas molecules. Though your tap water already does include hydrogen molecules, they’re not in large enough quantities to make a difference. This is why water is infused with more hydrogen molecules to turn it into an even healthier beverage - the H₂ Water.

It struck the scientists some 10 years ago and ever since they’ve been conducting studies after studies to understand the effects and true potential of molecular hydrogen on workout performance. 

But how does it all work? Let’s break it down step by step!

 

Why Does Working Out/Running Drain You Out?

Let’s begin with, why do you feel drained out from running or working out? Well, any activity above a resting state spikes your body’s needs for energy and oxygen. If you perform more intense activity than what your body is used to, the stresses will have a cascade effect on your whole body. 

The increased oxygen production to cope up with the energy being drained out will give rise to free radicals, which cause oxidative stress. This oxidative stress silently attacks your cells, causing cell death, muscle damage, weakness, fatigue, and all the other effects you experience from any intense activity. 

HOW DOES THE HYDROGEN HELP WITH IT?

Your body relies on ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)– the energy currency– for all the activities of your body. You get this from food and breathing oxygen. Hydrogen is the smallest molecule in the universe and can rapidly diffuse through your cell membranes and neutralize free radicals. Its protective properties enable the mitochondria to generate higher levels of ATP, thereby providing you with more energy. This is why, you tend to go longer and stronger!

 

 

DRINKINGH₂ WATER DAILY CAN REDUCE LACTIC ACID BUILDUP

Anytime you’re pushing your limits, your body starts to burn stored glycogen - and that’s when the lactic acid starts to build up. As we mentioned before, lactic acid is what makes you go all weary and fatigued. Luckily enough, the hydrogen water reduces lactic acid buildup, leading to prolonged workout and athletic performance.

 

STUDY:HYDROGEN WATER REDUCES MUSCLE SORENESS

One of the main reasons why a professional bodybuilder or athlete might stop training early on is the extreme levels of muscle soreness. 

 

A study conducted on a group of highly trained athletes concluded that consuming hydrogen-rich water before undergoing intensive exercise did help delay the onset of muscle soreness as well as shorten the recovery time.

Likewise, another similar study found that hydrogen water also had a beneficial effect on the maximal rate of exertion and lactic acid buildup at critical running speeds. The key takeaway was that the hydrogen water decreased the physical stress during maximal exercise. (Aoki, Nakao and Adachi, 2012)

 

STUDY:HYDROGEN IMPROVES ENDURANCE – PEAK POWER OUTPUT

A study was conducted on trained male cyclists to understand the effectiveness of hydrogen water in improving endurance. The control group was provided with 2L of HRW or placebo to drink daily for two weeks. Those receiving the hydrogen-infused water reported stable absolute peak power output (PPO) than those who were given placebo water (their PPO declined!) (Botek, J and Krejčí, 2020)

 

STUDY:HYDROGEN WATER IMRPOVES VO₂ MAX

A study found out a link between hydrogen water and improved VO₂ Max levels. This means, the control group that was given hydrogen water instead of placebo had an improved time to exhaustion and total workout. The study group also reported no side effects at all. (Aoki, Nakao and Adachi, 2012)

 

HYDROGEN WATER SHIELDS AGAINST OXIDATIVE STRESS

Increased levels of oxidative stress are the direct result of an increase in physical activity. This could cause not just fatigue but also residual muscle soreness, micro-tears to the muscle fibers, and even inflammation. So, oxidative stress in any form is definitely not good for you.

Fortunately, It is now public knowledge that hydrogen actively neutralizes free radicals, especially the hydroxyl radical which is the most toxic to the cells. By neutralizing these free radicals, hydrogen water can significantly lower down oxidative stress and leave you with more muscle power to continue pushing your limits for the best possible output. 

 

HYDROGEN SHORTENS RECOVERY TIME

Ever wished you could recover fast? It usually takes your muscles anywhere between 12-24 hours to repair before you’re ready for another round of training.

Studies have shown how hydrogen water could be helpful in treating muscle tears, inflammation and other soft tissue injuries. Hydrogen-infused water is known to maintain the homeostasis of enzymes - including glutathione, superoxide dismutase - as well as improve cell signaling ability for neurological function. (Decker, 2020) All of these properties, when put together, really make hydrogen water an effective drink for improving recovery times.

So, what are you waiting for? 

Click Here to Grab Yours Lumi+ Water Bottle Today! (Extra 20 off for Black Friday Special)

REFERENCES

1. Aoki, K., Nakao, A. and Adachi, T., 2012. Pilot study: Effects of drinking hydrogen-rich water on muscle fatigue caused by acute exercise in elite athletes. [online] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3395574/ [Accessed 30 July 2021].
2. Botek, M., J, A. and Krejčí, J., 2020. Hydrogen-Rich Water Supplementation and Up-Hill Running Performance: Effect of Athlete Performance Level. [online] https://journals.humankinetics.com/. Available at: https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/15/8/article-p1193.xml [Accessed 30 July 2021].
3. Decker, C., 2020. The Performance Enhancing Effects of Molecular Hydrogen. [online] https://todayspractitioner.com/. Available at: https://todayspractitioner.com/hydrogen/the-performance-enhancing-effects-of-molecular-hydrogen-2/ [Accessed 30 July 2021].