Application of Molecular Hydrogen as an Antioxidant in Responses to Ventilatory and Ergogenic Adjustments during Incremental Exercise in Humans

We investigated effects of molecular hydrogen (H2) supplementation on acid-base status, pulmonary gas exchange responses, and local muscle oxygenation during incremental exercise. Eighteen healthy, trained subjects in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design received H2-rich calcium powder (HCP) (1500 mg/day, containing 2.544 µg/day H2) or H2-depleted placebo mg/day) for three consecutive days. They performed cycling exercise starting at 20-watt work rate, increasing by 20 watts/2 min until exhaustion. Breath-by-breath ventilation (V?E) CO2 output (V?CO2) were measured deoxygenation (deoxy[Hb + Mb]) was determined via time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy the vastus lateralis (VL) rectus femoris (RF). Blood gases’ pH, lactate, bicarbonate (HCO3?) concentrations rest 120-, 200-, 240-watt rates. At rest, HCP group had significantly lower V?E, V?CO2, higher HCO3?, partial pressures (PCO2) versus placebo. During exercise, significant pH decrease greater HCO3? continued workload HCP. The V?E placebo, but did not affect status V?CO2 oxygen uptake (V?O2). increased absolute values deoxy[Hb Mb] RF VL. Thus, HCP-induced hypoventilation would lead to secondarily impaired balance between O2 delivery utilization suggesting that supplementation, which increases at-rest antioxidant potential, affects HPC induced delivery/utilization ratio VL, may be because these regions possess inherently different vascular/metabolic control properties, perhaps related fiber-type composition.