Abstract:

Muscle and tendon strains (MTS) are often accompanied by subsequent tissue hypoxia and overproduction of reactive oxygen species; this may aggravate the initial cellular damage caused by the actual mechanism of injury. Molecular hydrogen (H2) seems to be beneficial for treating ischemia-reperfusion injury, oxidative stress, and inflammation in human diseases; however, the effects of H2 as an element of acute management of musculotendinous injuries are unclear. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of one-week oral and topical H2 administration on markers of inflammation, functional recovery and pain intensity in competitive male athletes after acute MTS. METHODS: During the 2013 competitive season (from March to May) participants (12 professional athletes) were recruited and examined by a certified sports medicine specialist in the first 24 hours after a MTS was sustained. The subjects were allocated in a double-blind design to two randomly assigned trials: control group (CON) received a traditional treatment protocol after the soft-tissue injury (first 48 h: rest, ice packs for 20 min every 2 h, compression with elastic bandage, elevation of the injured area above the level of the heart at all possible times; next 5 days: passive stretching 3 times per day for 90 sec, isometric strength exercise with 3 sets with 15 reps, 30 min of pain-free weight-bearing exercise); experimental group (HYD) followed the above procedures with additional administration of oral H2 tablets (2 g/day) and topical hydrogen-rich packs (6 times per day for 20 min). Participants were evaluated at the time of the injury report and 7 days after baseline testing. RESULTS: HYD intervention augmented the decrease in plasma viscosity as compared to the CON (20.7 ± 2.4 vs. 15.4 ± 1.9%; p = 0.002). Limb swelling was reduced in both groups at post-intervention, with the decline in limb circumference significantly higher in the HYD (8.0 ± 1.6 vs. 6.2 ± 0.7%; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The addition of oral and topical molecular hydrogen to traditional first-line treatment is effective in the management of musculotendinous injuries in athletes.

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https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000493783.80014.95

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