Sodium bicarbonate
Muscle & Strength · Extracellular buffer
Tier B
What this is
The performance supplement that works right up until your gut vetoes the plan. Useful for repeated sprint, combat, rowing, middle-distance, and high-lactate mixed-modal efforts. Test tolerance in training only. Chronic healthy-longevity claims are not the point; this is a targeted ergogenic buffer. Can combine additively with beta-alanine in some protocols, but GI/sodium management matters.
Mechanism
Raises blood bicarbonate and extracellular buffering capacity, promoting hydrogen-ion efflux from working muscle and delaying acidosis during repeated or sustained high-intensity efforts.
Dose & route
Acute: 0.2-0.3 g/kg 60-180 min pre-event; split dosing or enteric-coated forms improve tolerance. Multi-day loading in studies often uses 0.4-0.5 g/kg/day split across meals for 3-7 days.
Citations
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34503527/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8427947/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38952910/
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This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.