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Does sodium bicarbonate improve performance?

This question is about Nutrition and Running

Sarah Achleithner

Yes,

sodium bicarbonate

(aka baking soda) may improve high-intensity exercise performance in some athletes [

1

]. Research suggests that the intake of sodium bicarbonate before high-intensity interval training can increase lactic acid clearance and delay fatigue onset [

2

]. It also helps to maintain pH balance because it clears lactic acid out of the muscle cells, which can help reduce fatigue [

3

].

Sodium bicarbonate in a white bowl on a wooden background

People also ask:

[1] Dalle, S., Koppo, K., & Hespel, P. (2020, September 25). Sodium bicarbonate improves sprint performance in endurance cycling. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1440244020307702

. 

[2] Wang, J., Qiu, J., Yi, L. et al. Effect of sodium bicarbonate ingestion during 6 weeks of HIIT on anaerobic performance of college students. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 16, 18 (2019).

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-019-0285-8

 

[3] McNaughton, L. R., Siegler, J., & Midgley, A. (2008). Ergogenic effects of sodium bicarbonate. Current sports medicine reports, 7(4), 230–236.

https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e31817ef530

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