Hydrogen gas inhalation prior to high-intensity training reduces attenuation of nitric oxide bioavailability in male rugby players.
Yuqi Zhao, Chaoqun Li, Shi Zhou, Zhiguang Xu, Xin Huang, Li Wen · PeerJ · 2024
Research-use notice
Independent study record
Each H2HUBB study page organizes source-linked research details for educational use. Interpretation should remain proportional to the study design, population, controls, and limitations.
H2HUBB TAKEAWAY
Hydrogen inhalation preserved nitric-oxide bioavailability markers after high-intensity training in male rugby players compared with placebo.
What the Researchers Studied
The aims of this study were to determine the effects of H₂ inhalation on plasma nitric oxide (NO) level and its synthesis precursor in professional athletes.
How Molecular Hydrogen Was Used
Molecular hydrogen was administered as participants underwent 1 week of h₂ supplementation and 1 week of placebo treatment prior to daily sessions of high-intensity exercise training, separated by 1 week of low-intensity training as a washout.
What the Researchers Found
Two-way (supplementation and time) repeated-measures analyses of variance showed that NO, L-arginine, and tetrahydrobiopterin levels in the H₂ inhalation group were significantly higher than those in the placebo group after exercise (D6) and remained higher after 24 h of rest (D7). Levels of hydroxydeoxyguanosine and interleukin 6 were lower in the H₂ inhalation week than in the placebo week on D6 and D7. Total antioxidant levels were significantly higher with H₂ inhalation than with placebo.
H₂ Mechanisms / Biological Findings
Inhalation of hydrogen gas (H₂) as an antioxidant supplement may alleviate exercise-induced oxidative damage and protect post-exercise hydrogen peroxide signaling, which may help mediate beneficial exercise adaptation.
Authors’ Conclusion
The authors concluded that these results suggest that H₂ inhalation helps to maintain NO signaling after exercise and to alleviate inflammation and oxidative stress induced by high-intensity exercise training in professional athletes.