The Effects of Medium-Term Intake of Hydrogen-Rich Water on Sperm Quality Biomarkers in Normospermic and Oligospermic Men: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

Abstract

The main aim of this randomized controlled pilot trial was to evaluate the effects of hydrogen-rich water on spermiogram parameters in normospermic and oligospermic men. As many as 12 healthy young men (age 29.1 ± 5.9 years; n = 6 normospermic; n = 6 oligospermic) volunteered. Participants were allocated in a double-blind manner to receive 1 L of hydrogen-rich water per day or 1 L of tap water fortified with magnesium for 8 weeks. Following hydrogen-rich water supplementation, sperm concentration and morphology tended to increase by 12.4 million per milliliter (95% CI; –31.8 to 56.6), and live cells increased by 3.8% (95% CI; –12.5 to 20.1), respectively (P ≤ 0.30). A significant difference between the two interventions was found in sperm vitality (P = 0.03), with hydrogen-rich water being superior to the placebo in terms of an increase in the number of live sperm cells. Subgroup analyses revealed no significant differences between interventions in sperm viability outcomes in oligospermic men (P > 0.05). However, sperm count increased by over 20 million in two of the three oligospermic men (66.7%) receiving hydrogen-rich water, while no oligospermic men in the placebo group increased sperm concentration to euspermic levels (P < 0.01). These preliminary findings suggest hydrogen-rich water is an effective intervention for improving some aspects of male subfertility; further large-sample trials are warranted to corroborate our results.