Post-exercise Supplementation of Sodium Bicarbonate Improves Acid Base Balance Recovery and Subsequent High-Intensity Boxing Specific Performance
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The aim of this study was to assess the effects of post-exercise sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) ingestion on the recovery of acid-base balance and subsequent exercise performance in elite boxers. Seven elite male professional boxers performed an initial bout of exhaustive exercise comprising of a boxing specific high-intensity interval running (HIIR) protocol, followed by a high-intensity run to volitional exhaustion (TLIM1). A 75 min passive recovery then ensued, whereby after 10 min recovery, participants ingested either 0.3 g.kg-1 body mass NaHCO3, or 0.1 g.kg-1 body mass sodium chloride (PLA). Solutions were taste matched and administered double-blind. Participants then completed a boxing specific punch combination protocol, followed by a second high-intensity run to volitional exhaustion (TLIM2). Both initial bouts of TLIM1 were well matched between PLA and NaHCO3 (ICC; r = 0.94, p = 0.002). The change in performance from TLIM1 to TLIM2 was greater following NaHCO3 compared to PLA (+164 ± 90 vs. +73 ± 78 sec; p = 0.02, CI = 45.1, 428.8, g = 1.0). Following ingestion of NaHCO3, pH was greater prior to TLIM2 by 0.11 ± 0.02 units (1.4%) (p <0.001, CI = 0.09, 0.13, g = 3.4), whilst HCO3- was greater by 8.8 ± 1.5 mmol.l-1 (26.3%) compared to PLA (p <0.001, CI = 7.3, 10.2, g = 5.1). The current study suggests that these marked increases in acid base balance during post-exercise recovery facilitated the improvement in the subsequent bout of exercise. Future research should continue to explore the role of NaHCO3 supplementation as a recovery aid in other combat sports.
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Administering NaHCO3 within approximately <30 min following exercise can restore extracellular acid-base balance during a 75-90 min recovery period between two bouts of exercise and may improve subsequent exercise performance.
“research has shown that administering NaHCO3 within approximately < 30 min following exercise can restore extracellular acid–base balance during a 75–90 min recovery period between two bouts of exercise and may improve subsequent exercise performance [129, 130]”
From Nutritional Strategies to Improve Post-exercise Recovery and Subsequent Exercise Performance: A Narrative Review (2025) · cites this paper as [130]
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- Authors
- Gough, L. A., Rimmer, S., Sparks, S. A., McNaughton, L. R., & Higgins, M. F.
- Affiliations
- Birmingham City University (GB)
- University of Derby (GB)
- Edge Hill University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Higgins, Matthew F.
- Venue
- Frontiers in Nutrition
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2019-10-01
- Volume
- 6
- Pages
- 155-155
- ISSN
- 2296-861X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6779834
- OpenAlex
- W2978810595
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 12
- FWCI
- 4.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Frontiers in Nutrition (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- BCU Open Access Repository (Birmingham City University) (acceptedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Thermoregulation and physiological responses
- Keywords
- sodium bicarbonate supplementation, acid-base balance, post-exercise recovery, boxing, volitional exhaustion, blood pH, bicarbonate, combat sports, elite athletes
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