Discussion: Drinking hydrogen water enhances endurance and relieves psychometric fatigue: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Abstract

Introduction In 2019, Toshio Mikami et al. published the article “Drinking hydrogen water enhances endurance and relieves psychometric fatigue: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study” (Mikami et al. 2019). The authors conclude that drinking hydrogen (H2) – infused water prior to exercise induces anti-fatigue effects and improves endurance when compared with placebo water. While the reported improvements in visual analogue scale (VAS) for fatigue, Borg’s scale, and maximum oxygen consumption (̇VO2 max) are statistically significant, these are of such small magnitude that no clinical benefits should be expected.

Study details

Article type

Review

Disease / injury model

Healthy volunteers (untrained and trained) performing exercise

Dose-dependent effect

No

Outcome

Negative

Findings

The described benefits of H2-infused water are clinically negligible, with only modest and statistically significant but not clinically meaningful improvements in endurance and psychometric fatigue. The conclusions of anti-fatigue effects and improved endurance are considered overstated by the authors of this discussion.