It has been asserted that the consumption of oxygenated water can support physical
working capacity. As this has not been accurately investigated yet we analyzed effects
of a two-week period of daily O2-water ingestion on spiroergometric parameters and lactate metabolism in healthy adults.
Twenty men (24 ± 2.5 years of age) with comparable aerobic abilities performed four
exhaustive bicycle spiroergometric tests. Applying a double-blind crossover study
design 10 subjects drank 1.5 liters of highly oxygenated water every day during the
two weeks between the initial two tests whereas the other group consumed 1.5 liters
untreated water from the same spring. After a two-week wash-out period subjects underwent
a second period consuming the opposite type of water. Spiroergometric parameters and
lactate kinetics between both groups at submaximal and maximal levels were analyzed
using a MANOVA. Results showed no significant influence on aerobic parameters or lactate
metabolism, neither at submaximal nor at maximal levels (all p-values ≥ 0.050). Merely
increments of V·EO2 at submaximal levels were demonstrable (p = 0.048). We conclude that the consumption
of oxygenated water does not enhance aerobic performance or lactate kinetics in standardized
laboratory testing.
Oxygenated water - aerobic performance - lactate kinetics
