Effects of Hydrogen-rich Water Consumption on Transient Fatigue During an Official Football Match.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether drinking hydrogen-rich water can reduce fatigue and help football players maintain high-intensity physical activity during an official football match. The study will include 30 male football players competing in the second and third tiers of the Czech national football league system. Participants will be randomly assigned to drink either hydrogen-rich water or placebo water. Neither the players nor the researchers conducting the assessments will know which type of water each participant receives until the study has been completed. Participants will begin drinking the assigned water 72 hours before the match and will continue drinking it on match day. Players' physical activity and heart rate will be monitored throughout the match. The main outcome will be the distance covered at high intensity during consecutive 5-minute periods of the match. Repeated-sprint ability, jumping performance, and perceived muscle soreness will also be assessed before and after the match. The study will compare the hydrogen-rich water and placebo groups to determine whether hydrogen-rich water helps players maintain high-intensity activity during the match and reduces short-term fatigue after the match.