Practical considerations for bicarbonate loading and sports performance
- PMID: 23765347
- DOI: 10.1159/000345814
Practical considerations for bicarbonate loading and sports performance
Abstract
Consumption of sodium bicarbonate (300 mg/kg 1-2 h before exercise) can temporarily increase blood bicarbonate concentrations, enhancing extracellular buffering of hydrogen ions which accumulate and efflux from the working muscle. Such 'bicarbonate loading' provides an ergogenic strategy for sporting events involving high rates of anaerobic glycolysis which are otherwise limited by the body's capacity to manage the progressive increase in intracellular acidity. Studies show that bicarbonate loading strategies have a moderate positive effect on the performance of sports involving 1-7 min of sustained strenuous exercise, and may also be useful for prolonged sports involving intermittent or sustained periods of high-intensity work rates. This potential to enhance sports performance requires further investigation using appropriate research design, but may be limited by practical considerations such as gut discomfort or the logistics of the event. The effect of chronic use of bicarbonate supplementation prior to high-intensity workouts to promote better training performance and adaptations is worthy of further investigation. While this relatively simple dietary strategy has been studied and used by sports people for over 80 years, it is likely that there are still ways in which further benefits from bicarbonate supplementation can be developed and individualized for specific athletes or specific events.
Copyright © 2013 Nestec Ltd., Vevey/S. Karger AG, Basel.
Similar articles
-
Chronic lactate supplementation does not improve blood buffering capacity and repeated high-intensity exercise.Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2017 Nov;27(11):1231-1239. doi: 10.1111/sms.12792. Epub 2016 Nov 23. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2017. PMID: 27882611 Clinical Trial.
-
Nutritional strategies to support adaptation to high-intensity interval training in team sports.Nestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser. 2013;75:41-9. doi: 10.1159/000345817. Epub 2013 Apr 16. Nestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser. 2013. PMID: 23765349
-
Ergogenic Effects of β-Alanine Supplementation on Different Sports Modalities: Strong Evidence or Only Incipient Findings?J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Jan;33(1):253-282. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002925. J Strength Cond Res. 2019. PMID: 30431532 Review.
-
Nutritional Strategies to Modulate Intracellular and Extracellular Buffering Capacity During High-Intensity Exercise.Sports Med. 2015 Nov;45 Suppl 1:S71-81. doi: 10.1007/s40279-015-0397-5. Sports Med. 2015. PMID: 26553493 Free PMC article. Review.
-
The Effect of a New Sodium Bicarbonate Loading Regimen on Anaerobic Capacity and Wrestling Performance.Nutrients. 2018 May 30;10(6):697. doi: 10.3390/nu10060697. Nutrients. 2018. PMID: 29848993 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
Cited by
-
The effects of sodium hydrogen carbonate ingestion during the recovery period between two 200-m front-crawl time trials.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2024 Nov;124(11):3191-3199. doi: 10.1007/s00421-024-05522-2. Epub 2024 Jun 6. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2024. PMID: 38844672 Free PMC article.
-
Combined Exercise Training and Nutritional Interventions or Pharmacological Treatments to Improve Exercise Capacity and Body Composition in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Narrative Review.Nutrients. 2023 Dec 18;15(24):5136. doi: 10.3390/nu15245136. Nutrients. 2023. PMID: 38140395 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Calcium Carbonate as a Potential Intervention to Prevent Labor Dystocia: Narrative Review of the Literature.J Patient Cent Res Rev. 2023 Jul 18;10(3):128-135. doi: 10.17294/2330-0698.2010. eCollection 2023 Summer. J Patient Cent Res Rev. 2023. PMID: 37483561 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Fueling Gut Microbes: A Review of the Interaction between Diet, Exercise, and the Gut Microbiota in Athletes.Adv Nutr. 2021 Dec 1;12(6):2190-2215. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmab077. Adv Nutr. 2021. PMID: 34229348 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Effect of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on two different performance indicators in sports: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Phys Act Nutr. 2021 Mar;25(1):7-15. doi: 10.20463/pan.2021.0002. Epub 2021 Mar 31. Phys Act Nutr. 2021. PMID: 33887823 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical