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- Episode 165-Hydrogen Water: Miracle Cure or Just H2-Oh No? From the Peloton to the Paleo Diet: Trevor Connor's Journey
Episode 165-Hydrogen Water: Miracle Cure or Just H2-Oh No? From the Peloton to the Paleo Diet: Trevor Connor's Journey
A brief synopsis of the episode's main discussions and takeaways as well as extended references
Jeff Sankoff
February 28, 2025
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Table of Contents
Hydrogen Rich Water; hype or hoax?-MMB found scant evidence to back the hype but it’s not a total hoax
Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) is water infused with molecular hydrogen (H₂), a gas that has been studied for its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Unlike regular water (H₂O), HRW contains dissolved hydrogen gas, which is claimed to act as a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes harmful free radicals in the body.
Potential Benefits and Scientific Evidence
Some studies suggest that hydrogen-rich water may have therapeutic effects on oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic health. Research in animals and small human trials has explored its use for:
Athletic Performance & Recovery: Some studies indicate HRW may reduce muscle fatigue and inflammation after exercise, though results are mixed.
Oxidative Stress & Inflammation: Molecular hydrogen has shown potential as an antioxidant, which could theoretically support conditions linked to oxidative damage, such as neurodegenerative diseases and metabolic disorders.
Metabolic & Cardiovascular Health: A few small studies suggest HRW might improve insulin sensitivity and cholesterol levels, but more research is needed.
Limitations and Skepticism
Despite promising preliminary research, there is no strong clinical evidence that hydrogen-rich water provides significant health benefits. Most studies are small, lack long-term data, or have conflicting results. The body already has natural antioxidant systems, and whether HRW provides additional benefits beyond a balanced diet is uncertain.
Conclusion
Hydrogen-rich water is an interesting concept with emerging research, but there is insufficient high-quality evidence to support most of its health claims. Until larger, well-designed human trials confirm its efficacy, it remains an unproven wellness trend rather than a medical breakthrough.
Meet the intern: Nina Takashima
Nina is yet another Grinnell College swim alum
Hello, my name is Nina Takashima, and I am one of the researchers for the TriDoc Podcast! My passion for this podcast stems from my experience as a swimmer and my aspirations of working in healthcare. As a competitive swimmer of 17 years—including throughout college—I have been curious to learn about the intersection between health, science, and sports performance. My involvement with the TriDoc Podcast allows me to merge my interests by performing searches on triathlon, health, and wellness topics to help produce episodes for all of you listeners.
I graduated with a B.A. in Biochemistry and a concentration in Environmental Science, which has helped to develop my foundation for research which I am glad to be able to utilize and develop through this podcast! Beyond the podcast, I work as a Research Associate at Silver Lake Research Corporation, to develop and optimize immunodiagnostic assays. Concurrently, I am a Visiting Research Professional at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County’s Hyundai Cancer Institute, where I conduct retrospective chart reviews on cavernous malformation incidences in pediatric and adolescent populations. My favorite day-off activities include hiking and camping in the wilderness with my family.
Through my involvement with the TriDoc Podcast, I am committed to gaining knowledge and spreading health and wellness tips for athletes an episode at a time!
Trevor Connor-CEO and co-founder of Fast Talk Labs
Trevor Connor, CEO of the Paleo Diet
Trevor according to Trevor: Connor is an exercise physiologist, endurance sports coach, and raced in the professional cycling peloton for over 20 years.
Over the past two decades, Coach Connor has been fortunate to experience all sides of the cycling, endurance, and nutrition/health world. From his own experience racing the professional circuit, managing teams, coaching athletes of all levels, and writing for cycling and nutrition magazines, he brings a variety of knowledge and experience to Fast Talk Labs.
Connor raced in the pro peloton for nearly 20 years, getting on the podium at some of the largest races in North America. He started his coaching career working with the National Development program at Pacific Sport in Canada. From there he coached the Colorado State University Cycling team to number two in the country and worked with several semi-pro and amateur teams throughout Canada and the U.S.
From 2011 to 2020, he wrote the monthly training articles for VeloNews magazine. This is also where he first became the co-host of the popular training podcast Fast Talk.
From 2012-2014, Connor managed one of the top-ranked amateur teams in America, Team Rio Grande. He is an alumni of the 14-year program which includes several top finishers at Gran Tour events.
Connor’s master’s thesis advisor was Dr. Loren Cordain, the originator of the popular Paleo Diet. Connor has been the CEO of The Paleo Diet since 2018.
He founded Fast Talk Laboratories, LLC in 2019 where he continues the podcast and focuses on producing information on endurance sports training from top coaches, physiologists and professional athletes from around the world.
Trevor Connor joins us on this episode, bringing a wealth of experience and a touch of humor as we delve into the nitty-gritty of cycling and endurance sports. He candidly reflects on his own journey through the pro peloton and how the game has changed. Remember the days when we relied on heart rate monitors and gut feeling? Well, those times are gone, and now we have more data than we know what to do with. Trevor's a self-proclaimed data geek, but he warns against getting lost in the weeds of numbers while forgetting to enjoy the ride. He highlights the challenge of balancing rigorous data analysis with the basics of just getting out there and pedaling your heart out. If you’ve ever stared at your data screen and wondered if it’s all worth it, this segment is for you!
Episode takeaways:
The explosion of data from ride analysis can lead to athletes missing the big picture.
Balancing data analysis and intuition is a major challenge for endurance athletes today.
Hydrogen-rich water is gaining attention but lacks substantial scientific backing for performance benefits.
References used for the MMB
Hydrogen Water Health Benefits
By Shawna Seed, Medically reviewed by Shruthi N, MD (2024)
Key Point
According to a WebMD article, hydrogen-rich water (HRW) is water enhanced with molecular hydrogen gas, which is tasteless, colorless, and odorless
HRW has 0 calories and 0g of carbohydrates, fat, and protein
While studies are needed to understand the effects, in a study of 49 patients with liver cancer, the group consuming HRW for 6 wks during radiation therapy showed improved quality-of-life scores during treatment relative to the placebo group, suggesting that HRW has the potential to offset negative side effects of radiation therapy including fatigue, hair loss, skin problems, nausea, headaches, and soreness.
A review published in 2024 reported that only some studies show the promising effects of HRW in reducing fatigue and increasing endurance in athletes.
HRW may contain antioxidants which could prevent oxidative stress from leading to cancer and other diseases.
A small study has shown that HRW could help manage high cholesterol.
HRW has reportedly slowed down a “cytokine storm”, an immune response that could cause organ failure, showing its potential in COVID-19 treatment.
Treatment with HRW reduced anxiety and improved mood in a study of cancer patients, however, HRW did not improve mental health in another study of individuals with panic disorder.
People can get most of the benefits of HRW by drinking regular water
Some studies show promising effects of HRW, but much more study is needed to draw clear conclusions.
Hydrogen Water: Extra Healthy or a Hoax?—A Systematic Review
Dhillon et al., 2024
Key Points:
HRW has been gaining attention in recent decades
Of the 590 articles yielded on PubMed by searching “hydrogenated water”, “hydrogen water”, “hydrogen-rich water”, “molecular hydrogen”, “hydrogenated water”, “antioxidant”, “anti-inflammatory”, “anti-apoptotic”, “fatigue”, “oxidative stress”, and “cytoprotective”, 25 were included in this systematic review.
“Hydrogen-rich water” (or “hydrogenated water”) contains dissolved hydrogen gas (H2), which has reportedly been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects on consumers.
This paper outlines the following potential benefits of HRW:
health benefits of physical exercise
anti-cancer properties
reduces oxidative stress
impacts on cardiovascular health
adjunct to management in COVID-19
liver function benefits
mental health benefits
anti-aging benefits
renal function improvement in chronic dialysis patients
Some studies have suggested that consuming HTW before physical exercise can mitigate the effects of fatigue, build endurance, and improve the anaerobic performance of trained athletes by improving acidosis caused by exercise, energy levels, enhancing muscular performance, protecting against oxidative damage, and suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Through a double-blind crossover study of 37 volunteers, Timon et al. (2021) demonstrated that the training status of the athlete mediates the ergogenic effect of HRW and that 7-day intake of HRW (pH 7.5; [Hydrogen]=1.9 ppm; oxidation-reduction potential: -600 mV) would be an effective strategy for improving anaerobic performance in trained cyclists relative to untrained cyclists.
Botek et al. (2019) showed that consuming HRW before exercise lowers the level of lactic acid built up through exercise and improves ventilatory efficiency.
Botek et al. (2022) show that this reduces fatigue and improves endurance during repeated sprints.
However, Botek et al. (2020) revealed the unclear effects of HRW on fatigue depending on the athletic abilities of individuals with the slowest runners improving race endurance and heart rate by 1.3% and 3.8%, while the endurance of fastest runners deteriorated by 0.8% and showed an unclear change of 0.1% in heart rate.
This review concludes that while preliminary study results may be encouraging, there is a need to further explain the mechanism behind the benefits of HRW, and research conducted with larger sample sizes and rigorous methodologies is necessary to support the initial findings.
Methods: Abstracts were reviewed by 2 blinded investigators. 590 articles yielded by searching “hydrogenated water”, “hydrogen water”, “hydrogen-rich water”, “molecular hydrogen”, “hydrogenated water”, “antioxidant”, “anti-inflammatory”, “anti-apoptotic”, “fatigue”, “oxidative stress”, and “cytoprotective” on PubMed. Opinion articles editorials, and book chapters were excluded. Human studies with comparison groups included. 30 articles retained for final review. 25 articles included in this systematic review.
Hydrogen-rich water supplementation promotes muscle recovery after two strenuous training sessions performed on the same day in elite fin swimmers: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial
Sladeckova et al., 2024
Key Points:
Considering the previously reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of HRW, this study assessed the effect of molecular hydrogen administration on elite fin swimmers’ muscle performance, damage, and perception of soreness up to 24h after 2 strenuous training sessions on the same day.
Muscle performance, muscle damage, and muscle soreness were measured by countermovement jump, creatine kinase in blood, and 100 mm visual analogue scale during the experiment, 12h after, and 24h after the afternoon session.
The study reported that 4d of HRW supplementation benefits the post-exercise muscle recovery of fin-swimmer within 24h following 2 strenuous training sessions on the same day.
Relative to placebo, the consumption of HRW improved lower limb muscle performance as well as markers of EIMD which include creatine kinase activity in capillary blood and DOMS.
HRW intake reduced capillary blood creatine kinase activity at 12h after AS (HRW: 156 ± 63 vs. placebo: 190 ± 64 U.L−1, p=0.043, d=-0.53, small effect).
HRW reduced perception of muscle soreness at 12h after AS (HRW: 34 ± 12 vs. placebo: 42 ± 12 mm, p=0.045, d=-0.74, moderate effect).
HRW consumption also improved countermovement jump height 12h after the AS (HRW: 30.7 ± 5.5 cm vs. placebo: 29.8 ± 5.8 cm, p=0.014, d=0.21, small effect).
While this study suggests that hydration with HRW promotes muscle recovery in elite athletes, it is important to note that the dosage of H2 was not adjusted per subject to account for their body mass, which was statistically significantly different between subjects. The relative dosage received was statistically significant.
This study also did not evaluate the mechanism behind the observed effects of HRW.
Introduction: Fin-swimmers train using repeated high-intensity short intervals that increase reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and cause fatigue along with exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). EIMD is caused by oxidative stress and inflammation, which HRW has been shown to be effective against. Considering the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of HRW, this study assessed the effect of molecular hydrogen administration on elite fin swimmers’ muscle performance, damage, and perception of soreness up to 24h after 2 strenuous training session on the same day.
Methods: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design study. 14 of the 27 national and international elite Czech fin swimmmers assessed for eligibility in the study were randomized into two sequences: HRW/placebo & placebo/HRW. HRW/placebo (pH 7.9/7.7, oxidation-reduction potential −652/+170 mV, temperature 20/20°C, dissolved H2 concentration 0.9/0.0 ppm). 12 swimmers (8F, 4M) completed the study protocol. 2 swimming testing days with 2 indoor pool training sessions each day. 2nd training followed by 24h recovery. 3 x 420ml HRW/placebo consumed 3d before testing. Test day: 2,520ml HRW/placebo consumed (420ml before MS, 210ml after each set of MS swim, 420ml before AS, and 1h after AS). Muscle soreness was measured using visual analogue scale (VAS) that assessed lower limb muscle pain before exercise, 30min and 5h after MS, and 30min, 12h, & 24h after AS. Swimmers in unweighted squat position at 90deg knee flexion and mark perceived pain from 0 (“no pain”) to 100. Muscle damage assessed by creatine kinase in blood assessed before exercise, 5h after MS, and 12h & 24h after AS. Muscle performance assessed by countermovement jump.
Results:
Relative to placebo, HRW intake reduced capillary blood creatine kinase activity at all points of measurement, but the difference was only statistically significant 12h after AS (HRW: 156 ± 63 vs. placebo: 190 ± 64 U.L−1, p=0.043, d=-0.53, small effect). Perception of muscle soreness measured by VAS was significantly reduced by HRW intake 12h after AS (HRW: 34 ± 12 vs. placebo: 42 ± 12 mm, p=0.045, d=-0.74, moderate effect). HRW consumption also significantly improved countermovement jump height 12h after the AS (HRW: 30.7 ± 5.5 cm vs. placebo: 29.8 ± 5.8 cm, p=0.014, d=0.21, small effect).
Hydrogen-Rich Water to Enhance Exercise Performance: A Review of Effects and Mechanisms
Zhou et al., 2024
Key Points:
This review examined the literature to assess the impact of HRW on sports performance and to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of HRW that may enhance athletic performance.
Of the 9 relevant studies, several suggest that HRW has the potential to improve athletic performance, but in summary, varying conclusions have been drawn with some findings also indicating that HRW intake does not lead to significant performance improvements.
Todorovic et al. (2020): “The study observed an improvement in sprint times, while the lactate concentration and perceived exertion ratings remained unchanged.”
Zhang et al. (2024): “The study observed improvements in lunges and muscle function, a reduction in the lactate response, and the alleviation of delayed onset muscle soreness.”
Sladeckova et al. (2024): “The study observed improvements in countermovement jump height and reductions in creatine kinase blood activity and muscle soreness following training.”
Botek et al. (2022): “The study observed enhancements in mean and peak power output, time to peak power, fatigue index, and total work capacity.”
Da Ponte et al. (2018): “The study observed improvements in maximal aerobic speed during the Vameval test, time to exhaustion at the maximal aerobic speed, perceived exertion rate, and peak heart rate. However, no significant changes were found in squat jump, countermovement jump, and five jump test performance.”
Dong et al. (2022): “The study observed improvements in both the maximum and average power during a 30-s rowing test, along with a decrease in maximum heart rate during the test period. Additionally, heart rate dropped significantly after 2 min of recovery.”
Botek et al. (2022): “The study observed performance improvements in trained cyclists, including increased peak and mean power outputs, along with a decreased fatigue index in the anaerobic test.”
Jebabli et al. (2023): “The study observed improvements in time to exhaustion, post-exercise blood lactate concentration, maximal heart rate, and oxygen uptake. However, no assessed variables were significantly correlated with time to exhaustion.”
Valenta et al. (2022): “The study observed no significant changes in race time, average race heart rate, and the rating of perceived exertion immediately after the race.”
This paper highlights several potential mechanisms of action responsible for the effects observed in HRW
HRW acts as a selective antioxidant that helps the body to adapt to physical stress, improve cellular communication, and enhance recovery.
Hydrogen molecules target harmful ROS and RNS such as hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite without neutralizing beneficial reactive species. In Lu et al (2010)’s study examining the detoxification system of cells, when H2 and O2 were dissolved in a medium to convert superoxide anion radicals into hydrogen peroxide, H2 was specifically responsible for reducing the levels of strongly oxidizing hydroxyl radicals, suggesting that HRW may protect cells from hydroxyl radicals.
Since ROS produced during exercise act as signaling molecules to enhance mitochondrial biogenesis, improve antioxidant defense, and increase muscle endurance, hydrogen’s ability to selectively target only harmful ROS allows for adaptation to physical stress.
Scavenging harmful ROS improves performance by reducing muscle damage and inflammation caused by intense exercise because ROS impairs muscle fiber function by disrupting calcium homeostasis and damage mitochondrial proteins which will reduce ATP production.
Li et al. (2022) shows that local treatment of hydrogen-rich saline in mice shortened wound closure time, reduced proinflammatory cytokines and lipid peroxidation, decreased cell apoptosis index, and increased Nrf-2 expression which activates a pathway to relieve oxidative stress.
Hydrogen can regulate expression of endogenous antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) that are vital to detoxifying reactive species and maintain redox balance.
The authors note that there is a need for studies to quantify the amount of ingested hydrogen, further investigate the precise mechanisms of hydrogen in the biochemical pathways, and address long-term effect of HRW consumptions.
Introduction: While the benefits of hydrogen on oxidative stress-related and inflammatory diseases have long been recognized, its application in sports and performance remains limited. This study reviewed the literature to assess the impact of HRW on sports performance and aimed to explore its underlying molecular mechanisms.
Methods: For this review, two researchers examined articles published on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science between 1980 and April 2024.
Results: 9 relevant studies addressing HRW and its effect of athletic performance were available. Number of study subjects range from 8 to 37. Dosage (mL) range from 500 to 2520. While several studies show that HRW improves performance, 2 research papers show that HRW does not improve the performance of trained track and field athletes running to exhaustion at the maximum aerobic speed, does not increase heart rate, and does not improve race times. Conclusion vary. This paper highlight potential mechanisms of HRW’s effect on athletic performance and recovery, but does not establish a specific molecular mechanism to explain the effects.
What Is Hydrogen Water, and Should You Be Drinking It?
By Moira Lawler, freelance health writer
Key Points:
Hydrogen water is infused with dissolved hydrogen
HRW may have the potential to boost antioxidant activity, reduce inflammation, increase energy, reduce body fat, and promote metabolic health, skin health, and quality of life
Not enough research to endorse spending money on HRW
Concept of H2O with added Hydrogen started in Japan decades ago (known as shin’nooru)
HRW is made by bubbling H2 gas into water or by electrolysis to split water molecules
Available as packaged pouches and tablets
Hydrogen water bottles can be used to add hydrogen to regular water in 5-10 mintues
Negative side effects are not reported, but HRW is relatively expensive
Research is limited for both HRW AND Alkaline water
“Ultimately, it’s similar to hydrogen water in that it won’t hurt you but may not help.”
2025's Top Rated Hydrogen Water Bottles Tested: One Device Revolutionizes Hydration
CTR Consumer Reviews Website (updated February 2025)
Key Points:
H2CAP, Lourdes, GOSOIT, and other leading brands available on Amazon, Walmart, & specialty health stores were meticulously tested hydrogen water bottles
H2 Next Hydrogen Water Bottle ranked #1
Costs $139.98 and infuses 1000 ppb of hydrogen in 3 min
Usb chargeable (15 uses/charge)
Costs range from ~$50 to ~$180 per bottle
Going Beyond the Hype of Hydrogen Water: New randomized, double-blind, controlled trial suggests hydrogen water can increase antioxidant capacity and reduce inflammation
Cohen, MD, & Gazelle (2021)
Key Points:
This article assessed if HRW increases antioxidant capacity, reduces, oxidative stress, and improves immune function in healthy adults relative to plain water
“From a clinical perspective, the research appears to support the use of hydrogen water for a variety of conditions that require immune regulation, increased antioxidant activity, and reduced inflammation.”
HRW has been studied in patient populations similar to therapeutic hydrogen gas. HRW was shown to be protective against chemotherapy-induced liver damage in a randomized, placebo-controlled Yang et al. (2017) trial and in Kang et al. (2011)’s randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving liver cancer patients, HRW reduced radiation-induced oxidative stress without compromising the antitumor effects compared to placebo.
Reducing ROS that stimulate immune cells and subsequently induce inflammation may be possible through the antioxidant properties of HRW.
Cost:
A bottle of HRW costs ~$2.50 to $3.00/bottle
A bottle of spring water costs ~$0.60/bottle
At 51 ounces a day (which is more than 6 8-ounce bottles) cost of HRW could add up to ~$15/day.
This article reports that HRW packaging can be an issue since hydrogen dissipates quickly and that HRW packaged in plastic or glass will likely not contain much hydrogen
Methods:
Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Healthy adults (N=38, age 20-59) were randomly assigned to plain water (n=18) or HRW (n=20). Each group drank 1.5L of assigned water daily for 4 weeks. Water consumed within 1h of opening bottles to minimize H2 gas loss. Serum biological antioxidant potential, serum derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites, apoptotic cells in blood, profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells for cell-surface markers (CD4, CD8, CD14, CD20, & CD11b), Inflammation via TLR, NF-kB signaling, and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression assessed.
Results: “Participants in the hydrogen water group who were aged over 30 years showed a significant increase in BAP compared to the plain water group (P=0.028), but there was no significant effect on BAP in younger individuals in the hydrogen water group compared to plain water. A marker for DNA damage due to oxidative stress (8-Oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine) significantly decreased in both groups (Δ=− 0.94 ± 1.44 ng/mL, P<0.05 in the plain water group; Δ=−1.32 ± 1.05 ng/mL, P<0.001 in the hydrogen water group). After the 4 weeks, the hydrogen water group showed a significantly lower percentage of PBMC apoptosis compared to the plain water group (P=0.036). The frequency of CD14+ cells increased in the hydrogen water group and decreased in the plain water group, and this difference reached statistical significance (P=0.039). The hydrogen water group had significantly lower expression levels of several cytokines: interleukin 1 beta (IL1B), interleukin 8 (IL8), interleukin 6 receptor (IL6R), and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 10B (TNFRSF10B) compared to the plain water group.”
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