After intense physical exertion, the body needs time to recover. Water, minerals and trace elements play a crucial role in this. This study investigated whether mineral water from great depths of the sea can support regeneration after severe physical exhaustion more quickly than normal drinking water.
Healthy young men completed a strenuous running protocol in the heat, which specifically led to dehydration and physical fatigue. They then drank either normal water or purified deep-sea mineral water.
The result was clear: people who were given deep-sea mineral water recovered much faster. Their endurance performance was fully restored just a few hours after exercise, while this took significantly longer with normal water. Muscle strength also improved more quickly.
It was also shown that typical signs of muscle cell damage and oxidative stress hardly or not at all occurred in the participants with deep sea water after exercise. This suggests that the minerals and trace elements contained in deep sea water support cell regeneration and mitigate harmful stress reactions.
Conclusion: Deep-sea mineral water can significantly accelerate recovery after heavy physical exertion and effectively protect the body from training-related damage.
Background
Physical exhaustion is caused by a combination of fluid loss, mineral deficiency, oxidative stress and microstructural muscle damage. Particularly intensive exertion under heat leads to a significant delay in regeneration. While conventional rehydration strategies rely primarily on water and electrolytes, the role of trace elements is increasingly becoming the focus of research.
Deep-sea mineral water comes from several hundred meters below the surface and is fundamentally different from surface water. In addition to classic minerals, it contains a wide variety of natural trace elements that are often lacking in waters close to the surface. The authors of the study hypothesized that this special composition can improve the regenerative capacity of the human body.
Study design
In a randomized, double-blind crossover study, healthy male volunteers took part in a standardized exercise test. The participants ran at a high ambient temperature until a relevant fluid loss was reached.
In the subsequent recovery phase, they either drank
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normal, purified water or
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desalinated deep sea mineral water with identical taste and energy density.
Endurance performance, muscle strength, hormone reactions, inflammatory markers, markers for muscle damage and oxidative stress parameters were measured over a period of up to 48 hours.
Central results
1. faster recovery of stamina
After normal water, maximum endurance performance remained reduced for two days. With deep sea mineral water, it was fully restored after just a few hours.
2. improved muscle strength
Muscle strength not only returned to normal more quickly after exposure to deep sea water, but at times was even higher than before exposure.
3. protection against muscle damage
Typical markers of exercise-induced muscle damage increased with normal rehydration, whereas they were almost completely suppressed with deep seawater.
4. reduction of oxidative stress
Oxidative cell damage increased significantly after exposure, but could be significantly attenuated by deep seawater.
5. no undesirable hormonal effects
Stress and performance hormones reacted as expected to the stress, but did not differ between the two drinking strategies. This suggests a targeted effect on cell and regeneration processes, not on the hormone system.
Possible mechanisms of action
The authors attribute the positive effects to the combination of numerous trace elements, including magnesium, boron, lithium and rubidium. These substances are involved in antioxidant protection mechanisms, the stabilization of cell membranes and energy utilization.
It is particularly emphasized that many of these elements cannot be produced by the body itself and are lost during heavy sweating. Deep sea water could compensate for this loss faster and more completely than conventional drinks.
Restrictions
The study only examined acute effects after a single training session. Whether long-term use has long-term advantages or possible disadvantages for training adaptations remains an open question. In addition, the composition and effect of deep sea water can vary greatly depending on its origin.
Conclusion
Deep Sea Mineral Water significantly accelerates regeneration after intense physical exertion. It is an effective strategy for restoring stamina, muscle strength and cell integrity after exhaustion.
The results underline the importance of trace elements for physical resilience and open up new perspectives for regeneration, sports nutrition and preventive medicine.