Dr. Andy Sparks, a nutritional expert and Research Innovations Manager at Maurten AB, dives deep into the often underestimated benefits of sodium bicarbonate for athletic performance. He explains how it functions as a buffer during high-intensity exercise, reducing pain perception and aiding long-distance athletes. Key points include innovative delivery methods to minimize GI distress and tailored dosing strategies for optimal effectiveness. Plus, discover its potential in various sports, from sprints to endurance events, and the exciting synergy with other supplements like caffeine.
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insights INSIGHT
Bicarbonate's GI Problem & Solution
Sodium bicarbonate is highly effective but underused due to gastrointestinal (GI) distress from traditional delivery methods.
Innovations like gastro-resistant capsules reduce GI issues, improving supplement uptake among athletes.
insights INSIGHT
Mechanism and Broad Benefits
Sodium bicarbonate benefits high-intensity events lasting from about 1 to 12 minutes by buffering hydrogen ions.
It may also reduce pain perception, aiding performance even in longer endurance events like marathons.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use Bicarbonate Strategically
Avoid daily sodium bicarbonate use to prevent blunting natural training adaptations to acidity.
Use bicarbonate strategically to train harder and gain benefits without tolerance loss on race day.
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BIO: Andy Sparks, PhD, was an academic in the UK for ~25 years and is now the Research Innovations Manager for Maurten AB, Sweden, and an Honorary Visiting Research Fellow at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. His research focuses on nutritional interventions to enhance sports performance, particularly the use of sodium bicarbonate. He has published extensively on a range of topics in exercise physiology and sports nutrition, with a particular interest in endurance cycling and running performance.
Dr. Andy Sparks shares his expertise on sodium bicarbonate as an overlooked yet highly effective ergogenic aid for sports performance, with a particular focus on recent advances in delivery methods that minimize gastrointestinal distress. He explains the science behind bicarbonate supplementation and reveals why this supplement deserves more attention from athletes across multiple sports.
Key Points!
• Sodium bicarbonate is recognized as an A-list evidence-based supplement by the Australian Institute of Sport • Traditional delivery methods caused GI distress, giving the supplement a negative reputation despite its effectiveness • Works as an extracellular buffer that helps manage hydrogen ions during high-intensity exercise • May also reduce pain perception during exercise, explaining benefits in longer-duration events • Effective for high-intensity activities (400m-3000m races), intermittent sports, and even endurance events • Dosing varies widely (0.1-0.3g/kg bodyweight) with significant inter-individual response variability • Peak blood bicarbonate levels occur between 15-90 minutes post-ingestion, depending on delivery method • The Maurten bicarb system combines mini-tablets with a carbohydrate hydrogel to maximize effectiveness while minimizing GI issues • Safety concerns relate primarily to sodium load rather than bicarbonate itself • Particularly beneficial for race strategies with high-intensity starts followed by sustained efforts
The Maurten bicarb system is available online at maurten.com, with region-specific sites including a US option.
Sports Science Dudes