The Study
Effect of sodium bicarbonate on performance and markers of kidney and gastrointestinal injury during repeated sprints in the heat.
This study is like a fair test where 10 people tried two different drinks before doing hard sprints in a hot room — one drink was baking soda, the other was just flour. The baking soda group did a little better at sprinting, so we can say it probably helps performance. But we can't say it fixes or breaks anything else, like your kidneys or stomach, because nothing changed there.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Athletes took baking soda before doing many short, all-out bike sprints in a hot room. The baking soda helped them push harder without making them hotter, sicker, or hurting their kidneys or stomach.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 560 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — a 3-4% power boost can mean the difference between winning and losing in sports requiring repeated sprints, like soccer or cycling, especially in hot conditions.
- 2Peak power went up by 3.4% (21 watts), average power by 2.3%.
- 3Core temperature, kidney markers, gut injury markers, and stomach discomfort stayed the same as with placebo.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European journal of applied physiology
Year
2026
Authors
Jonathan W. Specht, Marissa Ramirez, Jennifer Raef, M. Schwartz, Alyssa R Bailly, Oscar Chavez, O. Kumbasar, Jade X. Dawson, Jessica Apodaca, Raul Freire, Whitley C Atkins, Flávio de Castro Magalhães, Jason C. Siegler, Fabiano T. Amorim
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking sodium bicarbonate at a dose of 0.2 grams per kilogram of body weight does not change levels of specific urinary markers linked to acute kidney injury in endurance-trained adults performing repeated sprints in 40°C heat.
Taking sodium bicarbonate at a dose of 0.2 grams per kilogram of body weight does not increase blood markers of gut damage or bacterial toxins during repeated sprinting in 40°C heat in adults with moderate endurance training.
Taking sodium bicarbonate after a carbohydrate-rich meal increases peak power output by 3.4% and average power output by 2.3% during 20 repeated 6-second all-out sprints in 40°C heat in adults with endurance training, due to reduced acid buildup in the blood.
Taking sodium bicarbonate at a dose of 0.2 grams per kilogram of body weight does not change core body temperature, heart rate, or how hot or uncomfortable people feel during repeated sprinting in 40°C heat.
Taking 0.2 to 0.5 grams of sodium bicarbonate per kilogram of body weight 60 to 180 minutes before exercise increases high-intensity athletic performance.
Taking sodium bicarbonate at 0.2 grams per kilogram of body weight after a carbohydrate-rich meal does not increase gastrointestinal symptoms during repeated sprints in 40°C heat in adults with recreational endurance training.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.