Hydrogen-Rich Water as a Performance-Enhancing Aid in National-Level Finswimmers: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study.
Barbora Sládečková, Jakub Krejčí, Andrew McKune, David B Pyne, Robert Bajgar, Michal Botek · International journal of sports physiology and performance · 2026
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
In participants, HRW did not significantly improve morning 50-m sprint times (0.5%, P =.12) but afternoon 400-m time trial was improved by 0.6% (P =.003). These findings add human evidence supporting molecular hydrogen's therapeutic potential to influence oxidative-stress regulation.
What the Findings Mean
H2HUBB reviewed how hydrogen-rich water was evaluated in this publication and summarizes the source-grounded findings below. HRW did not significantly improve morning 50-m sprint times (0.5%, P =.12) but afternoon 400-m time trial was improved by 0.6% (P =.003).
What the Researchers Studied
The study used a placebo-controlled human clinical trial. The comparison condition was placebo.
What Effects Did Molecular Hydrogen Have?
Source-reported hydrogen concentration: 0.9 mg/L H₂; Source-reported hydrogen exposure: 1260 mL hydrogen-rich water/day; dissolved H₂ concentration was not sufficiently reported, so H2HUBB did not estimate milligrams of H₂; H2HUBB calculated daily H₂ dose: approximately 1.13 mg H₂/day, calculated from the source-reported dissolved H₂ concentration and total hydrogen-water volume consumed per day. HRW did not significantly improve morning 50-m sprint times (0.5%, P =.12) but afternoon 400-m time trial was improved by 0.6% (P =.003). The authors concluded that short-term HRW supplementation provides a modest yet meaningful performance improvement of 0.6% in middle-distance (400-m surface) finswimming. The researchers investigated whether a 4-day intake of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) improves finswimming performance and alters physiological and perceptual markers including blood lactate, rating of perceived exertion, and oxidative stress.
Why These Findings Matter
These findings add human evidence supporting molecular hydrogen's therapeutic potential to influence oxidative-stress regulation and contribute to the growing body of molecular-hydrogen research.
How Strong Is This Evidence?
This is human clinical evidence from a placebo-controlled human clinical trial. H2HUBB interprets the findings in the context of the study design, sample, comparator, and measured outcomes rather than using one publication as a verdict on hydrogen therapy.
Technical Study Details
H2HUBB classifies this publication as human clinical study with human clinical evidence. The reported sample size was 8. The study used a placebo-controlled human clinical trial. The hydrogen delivery method was hydrogen-rich water. The source-reported hydrogen concentration was 0.9 mg/L H₂. This is a deterministic dose translation, not a separately measured value.
Limitations and Safety
No separate limitations or safety findings were identified in the current-study source text available to H2HUBB.
Original Study and H2HUBB Research Context
H2HUBB presents this source-grounded research record as one contribution to the broader molecular-hydrogen evidence base.