Few people know, but sodium bicarbonate is used by many high-performance athletes who seek to maximize their results during training.

According to more recent scientific studies, the use of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) as a pre-workout increases the extracellular concentration of bicarbonate ions, raising blood pH, buffering the acidity of muscle cells and delaying fatigue.

A very practical example of the effects of bicarbonate is when you are performing a series of muscle hypertrophy exercises and you start to feel that burning sensation in the muscle .

That burning sensation is actually a  buildup of lactic acid in the muscle fibers , which will increase as you contract your muscles repeatedly.

Bicarbonate will help reduce and even delay this muscle fatigue. With this, you will be able to perform more repetitions or increase the load, causing even more muscle hypertrophy .

For people who perform aerobic physical activities, such as running, swimming and cycling, the effects tend to be even more significant, as the feeling of muscle fatigue is even more intense.

How to take

Experts recommend that bicarbonate be ingested 1 to 2 hours before training, in quantities close to 300 mg for every kilo of weight. In other words, a person weighing 80 kilos can ingest around 24 grams of bicarbonate, and this amount can be added to fruit juices with water.

Unfortunately, some people do not respond well to ingesting bicarbonate, reporting side effects such as gastric discomfort, diarrhea, bloating and belching.

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