What the studies found
In a 2018 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, 26 healthy adults drank 600 mL a day of hydrogen water (0.8–1.2 ppm) or plain water for 4 weeks each. Compared with placebo, hydrogen water lowered a measure of psychological distress and changed a measure of nervous system activity linked to stress. Fatigue and sleep quality scores improved during the hydrogen period, but those changes were not significantly different from placebo.
In exercise studies, people often rated workouts as feeling a little easier after drinking hydrogen water. See exercise and recovery.
How to read this
- "Feeling more energy" is hard to measure, and it's very sensitive to the placebo effect
- The 2018 study was small and partly funded by a hydrogen water company
- Simply drinking more water can help with tiredness if you were slightly dehydrated — common in our dry climate
Bottom line
There's limited evidence for an energy effect. If you feel better drinking it, great — just know that more fresh water of any kind can help, especially at 5,000 feet.
Sources
- Mizuno K, et al. Hydrogen-rich water for improvements of mood, anxiety, and autonomic nerve function in daily life. Medical Gas Research, 2018. Read it
- Jebabli N, et al. Acute effect of hydrogen-rich water on physical, perceptual and cardiac responses during aerobic and anaerobic exercises. Frontiers in Physiology, 2023. Read it
Not medical advice. Hydrogen water is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with your doctor about any health condition or medication.
Try fresh hydrogen alkaline water in Albuquerque. Your first visit is free. Call (505) 498-4098 to claim it.
Common questions
Does hydrogen water have caffeine?
No. It's just water with dissolved hydrogen gas.
Will it help me sleep?
One small study saw sleep scores improve, but not significantly more than plain water.