The Study
The effect of pre-exercise alkalosis on lactate/pH regulation and mitochondrial respiration following sprint-interval exercise in humans
This study showed that drinking baking soda before a tough workout changed some tiny molecules in the muscles of 8 guys. It doesn't prove baking soda makes you faster or stronger—it just shows what happens inside your muscles right after you work out hard.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
When athletes drink baking soda before intense sprints, their muscles respond by making more proteins that help remove acid and reduce damage.
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 568 / 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.
- 1These changes suggest baking soda helps muscles recover better from intense exercise by reducing damage and boosting acid-handling systems, even if energy production temporarily slows.
- 2MCT1 protein increased by 23.7%, basigin by 70.4%, NHE1 by 58.7%; mitochondrial function dropped by 23–28%; protein damage dropped by 30%.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Physiology
Year
2023
Authors
Claire Thomas, Rémi Delfour-Peyrethon, K. Lambert, C. Granata, T. Hobbs, Christine Hanon, D. Bishop
Related Content
Claims (5)
In healthy young men, taking sodium bicarbonate before sprint-interval exercise results in a 58.7% higher level of NHE1 protein in the thigh muscle 24 hours later, compared to taking a placebo.
In healthy young men, taking sodium bicarbonate to increase blood pH after sprinting does not change the levels of MCT4, NBC, or CAII proteins in the thigh muscle.
Taking 0.3 grams of sodium bicarbonate per kilogram of body weight before intense cycling sprints increases the levels of MCT1 and basigin proteins in skeletal muscle 24 hours after exercise.
Taking sodium bicarbonate before intense exercise reduces a specific marker of oxidative damage to muscle proteins by 30% in healthy young men 24 hours after exercise, due to the alkalizing effect of sodium bicarbonate.
Ingesting sodium bicarbonate before high-intensity sprint exercise reduces mitochondrial respiration through Complex I by 28% and lowers maximal electron transport system capacity by 23% 24 hours later in healthy young men, compared to no such reduction after placebo.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.