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Cited by 43Sports Performance and TrainingMuscle metabolism and nutritionExercise and Physiological Responses

Chronic Ingestion of Sodium and Potassium Bicarbonate, with Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium Citrate Improves Anaerobic Performance in Elite Soccer Players

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Chycki, Jakub, Golas, Artur, Halz, Mateusz, Maszczyk, Adam, Toborek, Michal, Zajac, Adam·2018·Nutrients
DOI 10.3390/nu10111610PMC PMC6266022
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Abstract

Anaerobic power and anaerobic capacity significantly influence performance in many sport disciplines. These include prolonged sprints in athletics, swimming, or cycling, and other high intensity intermittent sports, such as soccer or basketball. Considering the association of exercise-induced acidosis and fatigue, the ingestion of potential buffering agents such as sodium bicarbonate, has been suggested to attenuate metabolic acidosis and improve anaerobic performance. Since elite soccer players cover from 200 to 350 m while sprinting, performing 40–60 all out sprints during a game, it seems that repeated sprint ability in soccer players is among the key components of success. In our experiment, we evaluated the effectiveness of chronic supplementation with sodium and potassium bicarbonate, fortified with minerals, on speed and speed endurance in elite soccer players. Twenty-six soccer players participated in the study. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group was supplemented with sodium bi-carbonate and potassium di-carbonate fortified with minerals, while the control group received a placebo. The athletes were tested at baseline and after nine days of supplementation. Anaerobic performance was evaluated by the Repeated Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) protocol which involved 6 × 30 m max sprints, separated by 10 s of active recovery. Resting, post ingestion and post exercise concentrations of HCO3− and blood pH were measured as well as lactate concentration. The current investigation demonstrated a significant increase in RAST performance of elite soccer players supplemented with sodium and potassium bicarbonate along with calcium phosphate, potassium citrate, and magnesium citrate ingested twice a day over a nine-day training period. The improvements in anaerobic performance were caused by increased resting blood pH and bicarbonate levels.

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  • Caffeine has an alert effect due to antagonism of caffeine to adenosine receptors in the central nervous system.

    “has alert effect due to antagonism of caffeine to adenosine receptors in the central nervous system [14]”

    From Dietary and Ergogenic Supplementation to Improve Elite Soccer Players’ Performance (2021) · cites this paper as [14]

    The Introduction mentions studies combining caffeine with sodium bicarbonate, but does not describe caffeine’s alerting effect. The Discussion (§4.1; page unavailable) discusses central contributions to sodium bicarbonate’s effects, not caffeine antagonism of adenosine receptors. Searches for caffeine, alertness, and adenosine receptors found no passage in our copy addressing the claimed mechanism. (LLM, conf=0.74)

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References 64 · Cited by 43

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Authors
Chycki, J., Golas, A., Halz, M., Maszczyk, A., Toborek, M., & Zajac, A.
Affiliations
  • Akademii Wychowania Fizycznego im. Jerzego Kukuczki w Katowicach (PL)
  • Department of Sports Training, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, 40-065 Katowice, Poland
  • University of Miami (US)
ORCID
Venue
Nutrients
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2018-11-01
Volume
10
Issue
11
Pages
1610
ISSN
2072-6643 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/nu10111610
PMC
PMC6266022
OpenAlex
W2899454772
Cited by
43
References
64
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3
FWCI
4.09
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nutrients (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
Keywords
sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, sports supplementation, anaerobic performance, repeated sprint ability, soccer players, exercise-induced acidosis, buffering agents, blood pH, bicarbonate, speed endurance, calcium citrate, magnesium citrate, potassium citrate, lactate
MeSH terms
Anaerobiosis, Bicarbonates, Humans, Magnesium, Male, Physical Endurance, Soccer, Sodium, Potassium Compounds, Calcium Citrate, Dietary Supplements, Athletic Performance, Athletes

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