Sodium Bicarbonate and High-Intensity-Cycling Capacity: Variability in Responses
Abstract
PURPOSE: To determine whether gastrointestinal (GI) distress affects the ergogenicity of sodium bicarbonate and whether the degree of alkalemia or other metabolic responses is different between individuals who improve exercise capacity and those who do not. METHODS: Twenty-one men completed 2 cycling-capacity tests at 110% of maximum power output. Participants were supplemented with 0.3 g/kg body mass of either placebo (maltodextrin) or sodium bicarbonate (SB). Blood pH, bicarbonate, base excess, and lactate were determined at baseline, preexercise, immediately postexercise, and 5 min postexercise. RESULTS: SB supplementation did not significantly increase total work done (TWD; P = .16, 46.8 ± 9.1 vs 45.6 ± 8.4 kJ, d = 0.14), although magnitude-based inferences suggested a 63% likelihood of a positive effect. When data were analyzed without 4 participants who experienced GI discomfort, TWD (P = .01) was significantly improved with SB. Immediately postexercise blood lactate was higher in SB for the individuals who improved but not for those who did not. There were also differences in the preexercise-to-postexercise change in blood pH, bicarbonate, and base excess between individuals who improved and those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: SB improved high-intensity-cycling capacity but only with the exclusion of participants experiencing GI discomfort. Differences in blood responses suggest that SB may not be beneficial to all individuals. Magnitude-based inferences suggested that the exercise effects are unlikely to be negative; therefore, individuals should determine whether they respond well to SB supplementation before competition.
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The results of exploring the performance of sodium bicarbonate on the Wingate test were found to be ambiguous.
“However, the results of exploring the performance of sodium bicarbonate on the Wingate test were found to be ambiguous (Zabala et al., 2008; Zabala et al., 2011; Saunders et al., 2014).”
From Acute enteric-coated sodium bicarbonate has negligible effect on anaerobic performance but affects metabolomics and attenuates the gastrointestinal response (2022) · cites this paper as Saunders et al., 2014
The Introduction (p. 3) describes findings on sodium bicarbonate and exercise performance as equivocal, supporting the claim that results have been ambiguous. But the Experimental Design and Preliminary Testing (p. 5) specify a cycling-capacity test to exhaustion at 110% of maximum power, not a Wingate test. This paper therefore does not support the Wingate-specific attribution. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured300 mg/kg oral sodium bicarbonate can increase blood bicarbonate concentration by approximately 5-6 mmol/L.
“which can increase the concentration of blood bicarbonate ions by approximately 5–6 mmol·L−1 [29,30,31].”
From Effects of Enteric-Coated Formulation of Sodium Bicarbonate on Bicarbonate Absorption and Gastrointestinal Discomfort (2024) · cites this paper as [30]
General sodium bicarbonate can adversely affect GI comfort.
“Previous studies have suggested that general sodium bicarbonate can adversely affect GI comfort (Cameron et al., 2010; Carr et al., 2011; Saunders et al., 2014).”
From Acute enteric-coated sodium bicarbonate has negligible effect on anaerobic performance but affects metabolomics and attenuates the gastrointestinal response (2022) · cites this paper as Saunders et al., 2014
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“[84] showed a large inter-individual ergogenic response to sodium bicarbonate while also highlighting the negative impact that the associated side effects can have on performance.”
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Self-citationEnteric-Coated Sodium Bicarbonate Attenuates Gastrointestinal Side-Effects
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“Previous studies have suggested that general sodium bicarbonate can adversely affect GI comfort (Cameron et al., 2010; Carr et al., 2011; Saunders et al., 2014).”
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- Authors
- Saunders, B., Sale, C., Harris, R. C., & Sunderland, C.
- Affiliations
- Nottingham Trent University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Sunderland, Caroline
- Venue
- International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
- Publisher
- Human Kinetics
- Published
- 2014-07
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 627-632
- ISSN
- 1555-0265 (ISSN-L)
- 1555-0273
- OpenAlex
- W2149731464
- Cited by
- 105
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 6.90
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Nottingham Trent University's Institutional Repository (Nottingham Trent Repository) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Keywords
- sodium bicarbonate, ergogenic aids, high-intensity cycling, exercise capacity, gastrointestinal distress, alkalemia, blood lactate, blood pH, bicarbonate, base excess, individual variability in response, magnitude-based inference
- MeSH terms
- Acid-Base Equilibrium, Adult, Bicycling, Double-Blind Method, Exercise Test, Humans, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Male, Time Factors, Biomarkers, Exercise Tolerance, Sodium Bicarbonate, Lactic Acid, Young Adult, Performance-Enhancing Substances
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