2018 Medical gas research RCT Human H₂ therapy Drinking (HRW) Sports & Exercise Oxidative stress Immune / Inflammation

2018 · Sha et al. — Effects of the Long-Term Consumption of Hydrogen-Rich Water on the Antioxidant Activity and the Gut Flora in Female Juvenile Soccer Players From Suzhou, China

Original title: Effects of the long-term consumption of hydrogen-rich water on the antioxidant activity and the gut flora in female juvenile soccer players from Suzhou, China.

Super-Abstract

In juvenile female football players, two months of drinking hydrogen-rich water was followed by lower serum malondialdehyde and inflammatory markers and higher antioxidant markers and haemoglobin than in players drinking ordinary water, according to the abstract. The abstract reports higher gut flora diversity indices after two months, but per full text these differences were not statistically significant, and gut flora composition did not change significantly. The abstract gives no group sizes. Per full text, 28 players drank hydrogen-rich water and 10 ordinary water, and the groups differed at baseline. (Medical Gas Research, 2018.)

Classified as a RCT study using Drinking (HRW). See Methodology for how we grade evidence.

Commentary

Football training causes fatigue, which the authors link to free radicals, and hydrogen has been described as a selective antioxidant. The study tested whether two months of drinking hydrogen-rich water changes antioxidant and inflammatory markers and the gut flora in juvenile female football players from a sports school in Suzhou. Per full text, 38 players were 'randomly divided' into a hydrogen-rich water group (n = 28) and a control group (n = 10). Per full text, the hydrogen group replaced its usual daily drinking water with the same amount of hydrogen-rich water, while controls kept drinking ordinary water. No hydrogen concentration, placebo or blinding is reported. Serum malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity, interleukin-1, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-α and whole-blood haemoglobin were measured, and stool samples were analysed by 16S rDNA sequencing for gut flora diversity and composition. The abstract does not name a primary endpoint.

Key quotes

„the consumption of hydrogen-rich water for two months significantly reduced serum malondialdehyde, interleukin-1, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-α levels; then significantly increased serum superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity levels and haemoglobin levels of whole blood.“ — the blood marker results as the abstract states them, without figures
„Nevertheless, there were some differences in the gut flora components of these two groups before the trial, whereas there were no significant changes in the gut flora composition during the trial period.“ — the groups differed at the start and gut flora composition did not change
„Thus, the consumption of hydrogen-rich water for two months might play a role modulating in the gut flora of athletes based on its selective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.“ — the authors' conclusion on the gut flora, phrased as a possibility

Our assessment

The study compares two groups over two months, but its design limits what it can show. The abstract reports lower oxidative and inflammatory markers with hydrogen-rich water, while gut flora composition did not change significantly. Limitations: the abstract gives no group sizes, no hydrogen concentration and no primary endpoint, and it mentions neither randomisation nor blinding. Per full text, the groups were unequal (28 and 10) and differed at baseline: control players were older (mean 13.7 compared with 12.18 years) and had trained longer (3.4 compared with 1.21 years). Controls drank ordinary water without a placebo. Per full text, interleukin-1 and tumour necrosis factor-α rose in both groups, less with hydrogen, so 'reduced' in the abstract means a smaller rise. The gut flora diversity indices after two months had P values of 0.369 to 0.710 in the full text. Many markers were tested. The study does not show that hydrogen-rich water changes the gut flora.

Study design

Type: two-group controlled trial over two months, randomisation stated only in the full text, groups unequal and different at baseline, no blinding reported · n: not given in the abstract, per full text 38 (28 hydrogen-rich water, 10 control) · H₂ delivery: drinking hydrogen-rich water, per full text in place of the usual daily water intake, concentration not reported
Comparator: ordinary drinking water in usual amounts (per full text), no placebo
Result: serum malondialdehyde, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α reported as significantly reduced, superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity and haemoglobin as significantly increased (no figures in the abstract). Gut flora diversity indices higher than in controls after two months, per full text not significant (P = 0.479, 0.710, 0.369, 0.369). No significant change in gut flora composition

Abstract

Expending a considerable amount of physical energy inevitably leads to fatigue during both training and competition in football. An increasing number of experimental findings have confirmed the relationship between the generation and clearance of free radicals, fatigue, and exercise injury. Recently, hydrogen was identified as a new selective antioxidant with potential beneficial applications in sports. The present study evaluated the effect of 2-month consumption of hydrogen-rich water on the gut flora in juvenile female soccer players from Suzhou. As demonstrated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and 16S rDNA sequence analysis of stool samples, the consumption of hydrogen-rich water for two months significantly reduced serum malondialdehyde, interleukin-1, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-α levels; then significantly increased serum superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity levels and haemoglobin levels of whole blood. Furthermore, the consumption of hydrogen-rich water improved the diversity and abundance of the gut flora in athletes. All examined indices, including the shannon, sobs, ace, and chao indices, were higher in the control group than those proposed to result from hydrogen-rich water consumption prior to the trial, but these indices were all reversed and were higher than those in the controls after the 2-month intervention. Nevertheless, there were some differences in the gut flora components of these two groups before the trial, whereas there were no significant changes in the gut flora composition during the trial period. Thus, the consumption of hydrogen-rich water for two months might play a role modulating in the gut flora of athletes based on its selective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the Suzhou Sports School (approved number: SSS-EC150903).

Source & links

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