Sodium Bicarbonate
Common baking soda used as an extracellular buffer. Acute doses raise blood bicarbonate, improving performance in high-intensity efforts lasting roughly 1-10 minutes. Well-evidenced ergogenic effect, offset by a high rate of gastrointestinal distress at effective doses.
01 Overview
Sodium bicarbonate acts as an extracellular buffer: an acute dose raises blood pH and bicarbonate, increasing the gradient that shuttles hydrogen ions out of working muscle. This delays fatigue in efforts limited by acidosis, typically continuous or repeated bouts of 1-10 minutes.
Meta-analyses support a small but consistent performance benefit. The practical constraint is gastrointestinal: the standard 0.3 g/kg dose frequently causes bloating, nausea and diarrhoea, which can itself impair performance. Split dosing, enteric capsules, and taking it with a carbohydrate-rich meal reduce this.
02 Mechanism
Raises extracellular bicarbonate and pH, increasing the trans-membrane gradient for hydrogen-ion efflux from muscle and buffering exercise-induced acidosis.
03 Dosing
| Tier | Dose | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | 0.2–0.3 g/kg | Oral | ~0.3 g/kg body mass taken 60-180 min pre-exercise, ideally with a carbohydrate meal; split dosing lowers GI distress. |
04 Effects
| Effect | Magnitude | Evidence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improved high-intensity performanceMeta-analyses show reliable small gains in efforts limited by acidosis, such as rowing, swimming and repeated sprints. | ~2% in 1-10 min efforts | Clinical |
05 Side effects
| Effect | Severity | Frequency | Evidence | Countermeasures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium loadDelivers a substantial sodium dose, relevant to those on sodium-restricted diets or with hypertension. | Mild | Inherent | Observational | |
| Gastrointestinal distressBloating, nausea, cramping and diarrhoea, which can themselves impair performance. | Moderate | Very common at full dose | Clinical |