Metabolic acidosis is a clinical disturbance characterized by low pH in body tissues and blood and a variety of neuromuscular and cardiorespiratory responses. Besides treating the initial disorder, the main goal for patients with acidosis is to increase the systemic pH with alkalizing agents. The main aims of this study were to investigate whether daily oral administration of 2 L of HRW for 7 days affected baseline arterial pH and the rate of acidosis induced by exercise in young healthy men and to determine how many participants experienced adverse effects at follow-up after this treatment. Nineteen healthy male participants aged 20 to 26 years received 2 L of HRW daily (with approximately 1.1 mM/L of hydrogen dissolved in a drink, an oxidation-reduction potential of approximately 400 mV, and a mean ± SD pH of 9.3 ± 0.3) for 7 days, with participants instructed to sip the fluid throughout the day. The HRW was generated when the magnesium tablet (NORP Inc, San Diego, CA) was dissolved in drinking water before consumption (Mg + 2H2O → Mg[OH]2 + H2). Participants were asked to maintain their usual dietary intake and to not change their physical activity patterns during the study. Participants underwent blood sampling and endurance running at the start (day 0) and end (day 7) of the intervention period. At the preintervention stage, the mean ± SD fasting blood pH was 7.42 ± 0.01, whereas the postexercise pH was 7.29 ± 0.06. Intake of HRW significantly increased fasting arterial blood pH by 0.04 (95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.09) and postexercise pH by 0.05 (95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.10) after 7 days of intervention. No volunteers withdrew before the end of the study, and no participant reported any adverse effects of supplementation. Evidence confirmed previous animal studies that suggested that HRW may provide some benefits as a neutralizing agent.
Ostojic SM. Serum alkalinization and hydrogen-rich water in healthy men. Mayo Clin Proc. 2012 May;87(5):501-2.