The Study
High doses of sodium bicarbonate increase lactate levels and delay exhaustion in a cycling performance test.
This study gave different amounts of baking soda to cyclists and saw if they could ride longer. It found that a bigger dose helped them ride longer and made their blood lactate go up. But it only tested 21 people, so we can't say it works for everyone.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Taking a specific amount of baking soda before a hard bike ride can help you pedal longer by reducing muscle burn.
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 549 / 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 — biking 76 seconds longer is a meaningful improvement for non-professional athletes during intense efforts.
- 2With 0.3 g per kg of body weight: biked 76 seconds longer and had 15.1 mmol/L lactate.
- 3With 0.1 g/kg: lactate rose to 13.2 mmol/L but no extra time.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrition
Year
2019
Authors
L. H. Ferreira, A. Smolarek, P. Chilibeck, M. P. Barros, S. McAnulty, B. Schoenfeld, B. A. Zandoná, T. P. Souza-Junior
Related Content
Claims (6)
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.
Non-professional cyclists who consume 0.3 grams of sodium bicarbonate per kilogram of body weight before intense cycling experience a 76.4-second increase in time to exhaustion and reach 15.1 mmol/L of blood lactate after exercise, compared to those who take a placebo or lower doses.
Taking 0.1 grams of sodium bicarbonate per kilogram of body weight raises blood lactate to 13.2 mmol/L after cycling in non-professional cyclists, but does not extend how long they can cycle before exhaustion.
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.
Taking sodium bicarbonate at 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight raises blood lactate levels after cycling in non-professional athletes, but the timing of this rise does not match when performance improves, meaning lactate levels reflect physiological changes without directly causing reduced fatigue.
Taking sodium bicarbonate at 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight before exercise raises blood lactate levels to 15.1 mmol/L after exercise in non-professional cyclists, which corresponds to increased buffering of hydrogen ions and lower muscle acidity during intense effort.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.