You’re gearing up for a troublesome exercise, and as a substitute of grabbing your normal electrolyte drink, you’re reaching for… baking soda? It’d sound like a kitchen hack gone mistaken, however many endurance athletes swear by this family staple for bettering efficiency (and the hydrogel firm Maurten created an costly product round it–extra on that, beneath). Right here’s what you want to know that can assist you determine whether or not this concept is half-baked, or if it’s the important thing to your subsequent PB.
The science of sodium bicarbonate
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate (“bicarb” for brief), has been studied for its capability to behave as a buffering agent. Throughout intense train, like a tempo run or hill repeats, your muscular tissues produce lactic acid, which contributes to that dreaded “burn.” As lactic acid builds up, your muscle perform declines. Sodium bicarbonate might help buffer this acid, delaying fatigue and doubtlessly permitting you to maintain your effort for longer intervals. A variety of research present that athletes who eat baking soda earlier than high-intensity efforts might expertise improved efficiency. However can it show you how to on these longer-distance runs? Whereas extra analysis is required, some research recommend that sodium bicarbonate may increase post-exercise restoration, with different analysis suggesting it might assist runners velocity up, even after hours of coaching.
Swedish sports activities diet firm Maurten has created a hydrogel components for runners that some athletes, like mountain athlete Kilian Jornet and world 5,000m and 10,000m file holder Joshua Cheptegei, swear by. Runners new to utilizing sodium bicarbonate can modify the hydrogel and bicarb elements in accordance with their weight and coaching wants.
Do you know?
Supplementation with sodium bicarbonate 1 to three hours earlier than a exercise can improve efficiency throughout high-intensity train lasting between 30 seconds and 12 minutes.
Grgic et al. J Int Soc Sports activities Nutr (2021)
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Does it actually work?
Whereas there’s some stable science backing baking soda’s advantages, it’s not ultimate for each runner. Many of the efficiency features have been famous in shorter occasions, usually lasting between one to seven minutes of all-out effort. For distance runners, like these coaching for marathons or half-marathons, the impression will not be as pronounced. Nevertheless, if you happen to’re into monitor occasions or HIIT exercises, this kitchen staple may provide you with an easy-on-the-budget increase. The hot button is correct dosing (round 0.2 to 0.3 grams per kilogram of physique weight) and timing–it needs to be taken 60 to 90 minutes earlier than your exercise or race.
Watch out for negative effects
Earlier than you go dumping a spoonful of baking soda into your water bottle, bear in mind: it comes with potential negative effects, the most typical being gastrointestinal misery. Bloating, cramping and even diarrhea are attainable, particularly if you happen to take an excessive amount of or don’t correctly dissolve it in water. If you happen to’re involved in making an attempt baking soda for a efficiency increase, make certain to try it out throughout coaching earlier than a giant race day, to keep away from any disagreeable surprises mid-run.
