What is Sodium Bicarbonate, how does it work and is it effective?
Which athletes would benefit from its use, how should they take it, and are there any potential side-effects that we should consider?
Which athletes would benefit from its use, how should they take it, and are there any potential side-effects that we should consider?
Sodium bicarbonate, also called baking soda, is a common household item that many of us are familiar with. What some may not know is that the International Olympic Committee considers sodium bicarbonate to be among the top 5 ergogenic aids to enhance exercise performance in certain sport-specific scenarios. Which athletes would benefit most from its use and how should they take it. Also, are there are potential side-effects that we need to consider?
Sodium bicarbonate supplementation leads to an acute increase in bicarbonate concentration in the blood, making the blood more alkaline. This increases the pH gradient between the muscle and blood leading to an increased transport of hydrogen ions out of the muscle during exercise. This system is also important during exercise, since hydrogen ions can accumulate during high-intensity activity leading to muscle acidosis which can cause muscle fatigue. Thus, more hydrogen ions removed out of the muscle would consequently better maintain the intramuscular pH and minimise the detrimental effect that hydrogen ion accumulation has within the muscle and could lead to an improved exercise performance.
Overall, sodium bicarbonate can be considered an effective performance enhancing supplement for many athletes.
Sodium bicarbonate is ingested relative to body mass, with 300 mg/kg body mass (BM) considered to be the optimal dose for enhancing performance (though some studies have shown 200 mg/kg BM to be equally effective). Considering a 70 kg individual would need to ingest 21 g, that is a lot of powder. The supplement can be dissolved in a drink, though palatability is low, or ingested in capsules (size 00 capsules can contain 1 gram of sodium bicarbonate meaning a total of 21 capsules for 21 grams), with both methods of ingestion equally effective. Data (2) suggests bicarbonate peaks and remains stable for a prolonged period of time, and that supplementation could be initiated between 1 and 3 hours prior to when it is needed. Indeed, individual studies have provided sodium bicarbonate anywhere between 1 and 3 hours prior to exercise with improvements in subsequent performance.
Unfortunately, there can be some unwanted side-effects that may occur following sodium bicarbonate ingestion including gastric discomfort, such as bloating and abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. The incidence and intensity of these side-effects varies widely between and within individuals. Many athletes may feel that experiencing some side-effects is a small price to pay for potential performance improvements, although caution is advised since some studies do suggest that these side-effects could compromise performance. Luckily, there are some strategies to reduce these uncomfortable symptoms, the most effective being ingesting the supplement alongside a carbohydrate-rich meal. Taking it in capsules give far less problems than a drink and experimenting with different doses and different delivery mechanisms, ingestion with meals, the issues can usually be managed well.
Current recommendations for supplementation would be to ingest 200-300 mg/kg body mass approximately 1 to 3 hours prior to initiating exercise. The sodium bicarbonate can be dissolved in a drink or taken in capsules, and it is recommended to ingest it alongside a carbohydrate-rich meal to minimise any uncomfortable side-effects.
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