Bicarbonate 2.0 for improved performance

Bicarbonate is one of the supplements with a proven performance-enhancing effect, especially for intense activities at or above the threshold. BUT: gut issues associated with its intake make many athletes wary of the supplement.

New research on bicarbonate has surfaced, with various dosages and protocols being studied to avoid gut problems. We explore these findings in depth here. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the world of bicarbonate, begin with our previous article on Bicarbonate.

The key takeaway is that there isn’t a universal bicarbonate protocol that suits everyone best. To maximize the performance-enhancing effect, both dosage and timing should be customized to the individual while managing gut issues to an acceptable level. In this article, we guide you step by step on how to find a routine that works for you.

Sodium bicarbonate, as it's officially known, is an alkalizing agent in the body. This means it aids in pH regulation, particularly by enhancing the blood's buffering capacity when necessary. During physical activity, the pH in your muscles decreases, creating a more acidic environment. This is where bicarbonate comes into play, helping to restore the pH so your muscles can keep working efficiently.

For a more comprehensive background, check out our initial article. Bicarbonate is typically found in the spice aisle of grocery stores. Baking powder, which contains about 30 percent bicarbonate, is another common source.

Recent research has highlighted how individual the effects can be, even for a basic supplement like bicarbonate. We might assume that a fundamental function like pH regulation would be similar across a group of people, but that doesn't seem to be the case—something we'll explore further now.

H+ + HCO3– <-> H2CO3 <-> H2O + CO2

Hydrogen ions + Bicarbonate <-> Carbonic acid <-> Water + Carbon dioxide

Bicarbonate (HCO3–) binds hydrogen ions (H+) to regulate pH. This process is constantly occurring through an equilibrium reaction. When you train intensely, the levels of lactate (lactic acid) and hydrogen ions in the muscles increase. These "waste products" are transported out of the muscle cell via the transport proteins MCT1 and MCT4. It's a precise 1:1 transport where one lactate ion and one hydrogen ion exit the cell simultaneously. Increasing the bicarbonate levels in the blood also enhances the activity of MCT1 and MCT4 to maintain the pH balance in the muscle. Once the hydrogen ions are carried into the blood, the bicarbonate reacts with them to form carbonic acid, which then breaks down into water and carbon dioxide that we exhale.

Breathing itself is an effective buffer: the harder you push, the more hydrogen ions are produced, and the more carbon dioxide needs to be exhaled (thus, breathing increases). It's worth noting that breathing primarily increases not just because you need more oxygen, but because you need to expel the carbon dioxide produced.

I'm linking a video if you want to spend five minutes boosting your knowledge about acid-base regulation. I'm not diving into more chemical formulas here but just mentioning it in passing.

Research suggests that an increase of 5 mmol or more is needed for performance enhancement. While this might not seem significant in practice, the doses used in studies indicate that 0.2–0.3 g per kg of body weight is reasonable.

• 0.2 g/kg = 4–5 mmol – 2/4 show performance improvement (50%)
• 0.2 g/kg = 5–6 mmol – 8/10 show performance improvement (80%)
• 0.3 g/kg = 6 mmol or more – 9/9 show performance improvement (100%)

A dose of 0.2 g/kg body weight generally results in an increase of over 5 mmol for most participants. Intuitively, this might seem sufficient, but reaching that 5 mmol mark can be time-consuming and isn't permanent. In studies using 0.3 g/kg, not all participants reached 5 mmol, or the 5 mmol level didn't persist for 60 minutes after ingestion — the duration some performance tests require. This leads to varied individual outcomes.

Hence, there are three scenarios explaining the varied study outcomes when participants take 0.2–0.3 g/kg about an hour prior:

1. The increase in blood bicarbonate didn't reach 5 mmol before the test.
2. The increase reached 5 mmol but dropped below 5 mmol before the test.
3. The increase reached and maintained 5 mmol during the test.

These scenarios mean some participants perform significantly better, while others see no difference. We advise starting with 0.2 g/kg body weight. If your intervals improve and you can push harder, maintain that dose or gradually increase up to 0.3 g/kg. Effects appear more reliable if bicarbonate is taken about 1.5 hours before activity.

If you don't notice any difference and your gut is stable, then increase the dose incrementally up to 0.3 g/kg. Still no change with your gut staying calm? Adjust the timing — you likely don't need more bicarbonate but should experiment with timing. Perhaps you buffer slower and need to take the bicarbonate 2–3 hours before activity, or you're a fast buffer and should take it 30–60 minutes before activity. Test and learn about your body.

Studies where participants consume the same dose and perform the same physical test multiple times show that the bicarbonate levels and blood pH usually remain consistent for the same person. This means that if you're a "responder," you're likely to stay one consistently.

A clear trend shows that well-trained athletes often experience the performance-enhancing effect more frequently than recreational or untrained individuals. If a well-trained triathlete uses the same dose before repetitions, it's likely that the effect occurs almost every time. For more recreationally oriented individuals, there are larger variations. Interestingly, the performance boost is often greater for recreational athletes than for well-trained ones when they manage to harness the effect.

A study examining doses of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 g/kg body weight found that the time to reach peak levels in the blood was approximately:

• 0.1 g/kg – 30–150 min
• 0.2 g/kg – 40–165 min
• 0.3 g/kg – 75–180 min

The tricky part is not knowing if you're the one whose bicarbonate levels peak after 75 minutes or after three hours. There’s even a study where a person’s blood levels peaked after just 10 minutes with a 0.3 g/kg dose.

In efforts shorter than 30 seconds, pH isn't the performance limiter — bicarbonate doesn't help there. For long, low-intensity efforts, the pH change isn't decisive either. The magic time zone is instead in the middle: from about 30 seconds to 10 minutes. It's the same range where Beta-Alanine is effective because both are about pH buffering.

The best effect seems to be within 120–240 seconds, or 2–4 minutes of high-intensity work. It's short enough to maintain high intensity and produce a lot of acid, but long enough for acid production to become performance-limiting.

Reasonable intervals within this range include, for example, 2–4 minute intervals with short rest, 30–40 second intervals like 40/20, as well as longer 8-minute intervals, since they fall within 30 s–10 min. But once again: the greatest effect seems to be in 2–4 minutes of high-intensity work. #sweatfest

High effectiveness often unfortunately means more side effects — and that's the case here too. This is one of the reasons why bicarbonate hasn't fully caught on in the endurance world, despite its impressive performance-enhancing effects.

The main side effect is gut issues, but milder effects like a bloated stomach and a general "stomach ache" feeling are common.

After intake, the bicarbonate dissolves in the stomach into its two components: sodium and bicarbonate. The bicarbonate reacts with free hydrogen ions in the stomach forming carbon dioxide and carbonic acid, which leads to a bloated stomach, diarrhea, stomach pain, and in some cases even nausea. The nausea can also be linked to the unpleasant taste of bicarbonate.

As the dose increases, the risk of side effects increases. Most can handle 0.2 g/kg body weight, which means up to about 15 g of bicarbonate in one dose. But as I showed earlier, the performance-enhancing effect is more assured for many at 0.3 g/kg — and that's precisely where the side effects start to become apparent for several, so it's a delicate balance.

It's also worth mentioning the sodium content: sodium bicarbonate contains about 27 percent sodium. So, you're taking in a hefty amount of salt when you take your dose. You can skip salting your food that day with a clear conscience. You'll sweat out a significant amount of the sodium during the session, but a high salt intake isn't good for blood pressure and can increase the risk of kidney stone formation (see kidney stones). If you have kidney problems, consult your doctor before experimenting as a chemist. Also, drink plenty of water during the loading phase.

There's a substantial amount of research focused on bypassing gut issues. If bicarbonate is ingested orally, using encapsulation could be an effective solution. By sealing the bicarbonate in gastroresistant capsules that don't dissolve in the stomach, it can transit without reacting with stomach acid and producing gas.

“A potential solution is to ingest SB in gastroresistant capsules, preventing neutralization in the stomach and avoiding the associated side effects; this concept is currently being tested in our laboratory.”

This represents an exciting new area of research with theoretical advantages—its practical confirmation is now pending. Timing is also crucial: researchers have demonstrated that taking it 180 minutes, or three hours before activity, results in fewer gut issues compared to consuming it 1-2 hours prior.

The type of activity significantly affects this as well. Many individuals manage better on a bike compared to running. If you're doing intervals on the trainer, using bicarbonate is likely safer than consuming it a few hours before a threshold run.

• Consume 0.2–0.3 g/kg of body weight
• Intake 2–3 hours before activity
• Start testing at intervals on a bike or perhaps a rowing machine first if possible
• 0.2 g/kg = 15 g
• 0.22 g/kg = 16.5 g
• 0.24 g/kg = 18 g
• and so forth, I'm sure you're on board with the math here 🙂