The Claim
In non-professional cyclists, ingestion of 0.3 g/kg of sodium bicarbonate increases time to exhaustion by approximately 76 seconds compared to placebo, while ingestion of 0.1 g/kg of sodium bicarbonate does not increase time to exhaustion.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
Non-professional cyclists who take 0.3 grams of sodium bicarbonate per kilogram of body weight can exercise for about 76 seconds longer before exhaustion than when they take a placebo; taking 0.1 grams per kilogram does not extend exercise time.
See the scientific wording
In non-professional cyclists, a 0.3 g/kg dose of sodium bicarbonate improves time to exhaustion by approximately 76 seconds compared to placebo, while a 0.1 g/kg dose does not, suggesting a threshold effect for ergogenic benefit.
When sodium bicarbonate is consumed, it increases the blood's ability to neutralize acid. During intense cycling, muscles produce acid as they burn energy. The extra buffering in the blood pulls that acid out of the muscles, keeping the muscle environment less acidic. This allows the muscles to keep contracting forcefully for longer, delaying when fatigue forces the person to stop.
What the research says
1 studyFor regular cyclists, taking a high dose of sodium bicarbonate (0.3 g per kg of body weight) helped them ride 76 seconds longer before getting tired, but a lower dose (0.1 g/kg) didn’t help at all — so you need enough of it to see a benefit.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.