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Water

 #35



The Forgotten Dimension of Human Performance




By Lord Dr Paul Martin (HonDSc), WKA World Vice President


Introduction

Throughout my professional journey—from my early years as a martial artist, through decades of involvement in international sport governance, to being honoured with a Doctorate in Sports Science and Kinesiology—I have always returned to one fundamental question: what truly drives human performance?

We measure strength, speed, endurance, and mental resilience. We study muscles, hormones, and energy systems. Yet, underlying every cell, every tissue, every thought, is one substance we too often take for granted: water.

Most of us are taught at school that the body is around 70% water, that water is simply H₂O, and that it serves as a neutral carrier of nutrients and waste. But emerging evidence suggests this description is incomplete (Pollack, 2013). Water, far from being inert, may be the most dynamic, structured, and life-giving substance inside us.

Beyond H₂O: The Fourth Phase of Water

Gerald Pollack, Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington, has presented evidence for what he calls the “fourth phase of water” (Pollack, 2013). According to his experiments, when water interfaces with hydrophilic (water-loving) surfaces—such as proteins, cell membranes, or blood vessel linings—it does not behave like an ordinary bulk liquid.

Instead, it organizes into an ordered, crystalline-like arrangement known as the Exclusion Zone (EZ). This region can extend from several microns to over a millimetre from the surface. Within this zone, solutes and particles are excluded, hence its name (Chai & Pollack, 2010).

The properties of EZ water are remarkable:

  • Viscosity – It is thicker and denser than bulk water.
  • Charge – It carries a negative charge, while adjacent water becomes more positive.
  • Energy Storage – It can absorb infrared light and expand, storing this radiant energy.
  • Flow Potential – It may help drive fluid flow without the need for mechanical pumps.

For athletes and scientists alike, these findings prompt us to reconsider water not as a passive medium, but as an active agent in life and performance.

Water as a Biological Battery

One of Pollack’s most striking discoveries is that EZ water separates charge. Like the two poles of a battery, the negatively charged EZ and the positively charged bulk water create a potential difference. Infrared light, abundant in sunlight and even body heat, can expand this charge separation (Chai & Pollack, 2010).

This has profound implications: water inside our tissues may not only hydrate, but also generate usable energy. For a sports scientist, this raises fascinating possibilities: could structured water contribute to endurance, faster recovery, and cellular communication in ways we do not yet fully appreciate?

Evidence from Biology

1. Embryonic Circulation

Blood flows in embryos even before the heart is fully developed. Conventional models struggle to explain this, but EZ-driven charge separation may help propel early fluid movement (Zheng et al., 2006).

2. Fascia and Whole-Body Communication

The fascial network transmits mechanical and electrical signals throughout the body. Structured water along collagen fibers could act as a conductive medium, enabling rapid and coordinated responses during sports (Ho, 2014).

3. Energy from Light

Athletes often report feeling more energised after training outdoors. Beyond psychological benefits, there may be a biophysical explanation: infrared light from the sun expands EZ water inside tissues, literally charging the body (Pollack, 2013).

4. Hydration Efficiency

Sports hydration science traditionally focuses on fluid volume and electrolyte replacement. Yet structured water suggests a deeper truth: hydration is about making water biologically useful at the cellular level, not just drinking more litres.

Historical Parallels

The idea of structured, living water is not entirely new.

  • Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925) suggested that the heart is not merely a mechanical pump, but a regulator of flow within a system already in motion. Modern observations of EZ water lend experimental support to this claim (Pollack, 2013).
  • Viktor Schauberger (1885–1958) studied natural water flows, emphasising spirals, vortices, and the vitality of water in forests and rivers. He described water as the “blood of the Earth” (Coats, 1996).
  • Masaru Emoto (1943–2014) claimed that water responds to words, music, and intention, forming different crystal patterns when frozen. While criticised for lacking scientific rigour, his ideas resonate with the hypothesis that water is sensitive to environmental information (Ball, 2022).

As both a martial artist and a scientist, I see these perspectives converging: water is not inert but alive, responsive, and central to human vitality.

Supporting Structured Water in the Body

In my work with athletes, coaches, and practitioners, I emphasise that hydration is more than fluid replacement. Structured water can be supported through lifestyle choices:

  1. Sunlight and Infrared Exposure. Natural sunlight, especially in the infrared wavelength range, expands EZ layers in tissue water (Chai & Pollack, 2010). Training outdoors may literally charge your cells.
  2. Movement and Breath. Dynamic movement and diaphragmatic breathing stimulate lymphatic flow and fascial hydration, conditions that support the formation of structured water (Ho, 2014).
  3. Electrolytes and Minerals. Proper hydration requires conductivity. High-quality mineral salts and natural spring water enhance the water’s biological benefits (Pollack, 2013).
  4. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. Plant water is already structured. This explains the superior hydration from foods like cucumbers, melons, and leafy greens (Ho, 2014).
  5. Earthing (Grounding). Walking barefoot reconnects the body with Earth’s electrical potential, which may stabilise charge distribution in EZ water (Chevalier et al., 2012).
  6. Mental and Acoustic Environment. While speculative, studies suggest water may respond to vibration and frequency. Music, intention, and emotional state may influence internal water structure (Ho, 2014).

Critical Reflections

As a sports scientist, I believe in the importance of striking a balance between curiosity and caution. The existence of the exclusion zone is well documented experimentally (Zheng et al., 2006; Chai & Pollack, 2010). However:

  • The proposed H₃O₂ formula remains controversial; many chemists argue it is chemically unstable (Ball, 2022).
  • Health claims around commercial “structured water” devices are unsupported by rigorous evidence.
  • The connection between EZ water and whole-body physiology is promising but not yet fully proven.

In short, structured water is real, but its biological and clinical relevance requires further study. My position is one of open-minded scepticism—valuing new insights without discarding established science.

Implications for Sports and Martial Arts

From the dojo to the competition arena, athletes seek marginal gains. We look at training load, nutrition, psychology, and recovery. But what if the proper foundation of performance lies in the structuring of water inside our bodies?

  • Martial artists speak of “ki” or “chi,” an inner energy. Could this be a metaphor for the electrical charge of structured water?
  • Athletes often describe being “in flow.” This may reflect not just psychology, but fluid dynamics within tissues supported by EZ water.
  • Recovery protocols that include sunlight exposure, grounding, and plant-rich nutrition may be effective partly because they enhance structured water.

This is where sports science, martial arts philosophy, and biophysics converge.

Conclusion

In my career, I have learned that performance is not only about muscle or willpower—it is about energy, communication, and hidden forces that sustain life. Water, far from being an inert solvent, appears to be a living medium—organising, charging, and enabling human vitality.

As an Honorary Doctor in Sports Science and Kinesiology, I believe it is time for the sporting world to expand its understanding of hydration. Not just litres and electrolytes, but the quality and structure of water inside the body.

We may ultimately discover that we are not machines powered by pumps and chemicals, but living batteries charged by light, movement, and the Earth itself.

References

  • Ball, P. 2022. Don’t fall for the snake-oil claims of “structured water”: a chemist explains. UNSW Newsroom. Available at: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2022/08/don_t-fall-for-the-snake-oil-claims-of-structured-water--a-chemi [Accessed 30 August 2025].
  • Chai, B. & Pollack, G.H. 2010. Solute-free interfacial zones in polar liquids. Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 114(16), pp. 5371–5375.
  • Chevalier, G., Sinatra, S.T. & Oschman, J.L. 2012. Earthing: Health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth’s surface electrons. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. 2012, Article ID 291541.
  • Coats, C. 1996. Living Water: Viktor Schauberger and the Secrets of Natural Energy. London: Gateway.
  • Ho, M.W. 2014. Living Rainbow H₂O. Singapore: World Scientific.
  • Pollack, G.H. 2013. The Fourth Phase of Water: Beyond Solid, Liquid, and Vapor. Seattle: Ebner & Sons.
  • Zheng, J.M., Chin, W.C., Khijniak, E., Khijniak, E. Jr. & Pollack, G.H. 2006. Surfaces and interfacial water: evidence that hydrophilic surfaces have long-range impact. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science. 127(1), pp. 19–27.

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