If ask you what you use baking soda for what would you think of? Most of us would answer with laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, and the stuff you put in refrigerators so they don’t smell bad. But did you know that baking soda has other uses as well, even in the health and fitness aspect ? Well it does !!!
Here are some facts !
- Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate
- This is written as NaHCO3 chemically.
- Baking soda is alkaline, or basic.
So what does this have to do with performance or recovery? Baking soda contains buffers. Buffers resist pH change by neutralizing added acid or added base. Buffers contain significant amounts of both a weak acid and its conjugate base. Aconjugate base is part of a reaction where one part of the compound transforms into the other by gaining or losing a proton. The conjugate base gains or absorbs a proton in this chemical reaction. Ok so what does all this mean??
You know how your body produces that burning sensation in your muscles when you workout? Well thats something called lactic acid. It’s a build-up of acid inside the muscle cell is a factor responsible for muscular fatigue. Thus, the total muscular capacity is limited by the progressive increase in acidity within the muscles caused by an accumulation of lactate and H+ions. This inhibits energy transfer and the ability of muscles to contract. The body’s defense against this is bicarbonate buffers, which help neutralize the acid produced by intense exercise. What helps to neutralize acids? Baking soda 🙂
Since baking soda is an alkalizing agent, it reduces the acidity of the blood (the buffering action). This action may be able to draw more of the acid within the muscle cells out into the bloodstream, and thus reduce the level of acidity within the muscle cells. This in turn can delay the onset of fatigue. People who need this the most are those who regularly stress the anaerobic glycolysis system, which produces a lot of acidity. So, think of sprinters ,swimming, cycling, or running, CrossFitters, Olympic lifters, and even those who do high intensity interval training on a different platform.
So what do you do with it and how do you use it ? The normal recommendation is that you need one liter of water when ingesting 0.3 grams per kilogram of body mass. The water will help with absorption and decrease your chances of GI distress. Baking soda does not linger around the body, so it’s important to take it and work out about an hour or so later. Don’t take it and then train five hours later.Ingesting too much baking soda can cause unpleasant side effects such as vomiting, gastrointestinal discomfort, bloating, and diarrhea. The benefit of being able to push through that last bit of a workout and the decreased recovery time may be worth it for you.Plus, baking soda is rather cheap compared to some of the other supplements out there that claim the same effects. Just take a trip to your primary care manager first to clear yourself to introduce this supplementation into your life.
References:
1. Wu, CL., et. al. “Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation Prevents Skilled Tennis Performance Decline After a Simulated Match.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2010): 33, accessed October 24, 2014. DOI: 10.1186/1550-2783-7-33
2. Shelton, J., et. al. “Sodium Bicarbonate – A Potent Erogoenic Aid?” Food and Nutrition Sciences (2010): 1-4, accessed October 24, 2014. DOI: 10.4236/fns.2010.11001
3. Lavender, G. et al. “Effect of Sodium Bicarbonate Ingestion Upon Repeated Sprints.” British Journal of Sports Medicine (1989): 41-45, accessed October 24, 2014. PMCID: PMC1478644
4. Tro, NJ. Principles of Chemistry, A Molecular Approach. (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2010), 80, 598-599
5. Baechle, T. and Earle, R., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, Third Edition. (Illinois: Human Kinetics, 2008), 29-30