If you’ve ever baked cookies, cleaned your fridge, or brushed your teeth with that familiar orange box of baking soda, you’re already well acquainted with sodium bicarbonate. But what if we told you that same ingredient could be a powerful performance enhancer in the gym or on the field?
Backed by decades of research, sodium bicarbonate—commonly known as baking soda—is more than a household staple. As a supplement, it can help you train harder, recover faster, and push past the burn when your body wants to quit.
Let’s break down how it works, what the science says, and how to use it to get a competitive edge.
What Is Sodium Bicarbonate?
Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) is a naturally occurring compound derived from trona deposits found in ancient lake beds. Once processed into soda ash and refined into baking soda, it becomes one of the most versatile compounds on the planet—used in cooking, cleaning, and even sports nutrition.
In the body, sodium bicarbonate functions as a buffering agent—meaning it helps maintain pH balance by neutralizing excess acidity. This ability to stabilize pH is what makes it so useful in high-intensity, acid-producing exercise.
How Does Sodium Bicarbonate Work
In the Kitchen
When baking soda combines with an acid (like lemon juice or vinegar), it produces carbon dioxide bubbles, causing baked goods to rise and creating that perfect soft texture.
In Athletic Performance
During anaerobic exercise (like sprinting or weightlifting), the body produces lactic acid, which rapidly increases hydrogen ion concentration, dropping the pH in your muscles. This acidic environment causes the well-known “burn” and contributes to fatigue.
Sodium bicarbonate steps in as a buffer, helping to:
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Neutralize excess hydrogen ions
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Maintain a stable pH level
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Delay muscle fatigue
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Extend time to exhaustion
According to Carr, Slater, and Gore (Sports Medicine), supplementation with sodium bicarbonate has been shown to enhance performance in activities lasting 1–10 minutes that involve repeated bursts of high-intensity output.
Benefits of Sodium Bicarbonate for Athletes
Sodium bicarbonate is one of the most evidence-based, effective supplements for improving anaerobic and high-intensity training. Here's how it helps:
1. Buffers Lactic Acid and Delays Fatigue
Hydrogen ion buildup in your muscles during intense exercise is a major factor in fatigue. By buffering those ions, sodium bicarbonate helps you train harder, longer, and with less burn.
A review by Peart et al., Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed improved time to exhaustion and performance in repeated bouts of intense activity.
2. Improves Anaerobic and Intermittent Performance
In sports involving short bursts of effort (e.g., sprints, CrossFit, combat sports), sodium bicarbonate enhances your ability to repeat high-intensity efforts with less decline in output.
McNaughton et al., European Journal of Applied Physiology found significant improvements in total work during sprint cycling tests.
3. Increases Total Training Volume and Output
Reducing muscle fatigue allows athletes to perform more reps, more sets, or heavier lifts in the same workout. This means more mechanical tension and progressive overload, both of which are key drivers of strength and hypertrophy.
4. Supports Recovery Between Intervals
Buffering acid buildup enables faster recovery between bouts of intense training, making it ideal for interval sessions or sports with multiple rounds or plays.
5. Enhances Performance in High-Intensity Endurance Sports
Even in endurance events that include bursts of anaerobic effort (e.g., rowing, swimming, cycling), sodium bicarbonate helps maintain peak performance throughout the race.
6. Boosts Mental Resilience
By blunting the physical “burn,” athletes often report a stronger mental edge, helping them break through performance plateaus with improved focus and mental toughness.
Why pH Matters
Your body's pH plays a critical role in how you perform and recover.
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Neutral pH = 7.0
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Acidic = below 7.0
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Alkaline = above 7.0
During exercise, especially in anaerobic conditions, the body becomes more acidic due to lactic acid and hydrogen ion buildup. This drop in pH affects muscle contractions, enzyme activity, and overall performance.
By supplementing with sodium bicarbonate, you can buffer this acidity, stabilize pH, and maintain higher intensity for longer durations.
Bonus Insight: Dosage and Timing
To experience its performance-enhancing benefits, the typical protocol is:
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0.3 g/kg of body weight (e.g., 24g for an 80 kg/176 lb athlete)
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Taken 60–90 minutes before training or competition
Some athletes experience gastrointestinal discomfort, especially with higher doses. To minimize side effects:
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Try split dosing (e.g., 2 smaller doses 30 minutes apart)
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Take it with a carbohydrate-rich meal or shake
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Start with lower doses to assess tolerance
Always test in training before competition. Everyone’s response is different.
Final Thoughts
While it might seem surprising that something from your kitchen could elevate your athletic performance, sodium bicarbonate is one of the most effective, affordable, and research-backed ergogenic aids available.
Whether you’re an elite competitor, weekend warrior, or functional fitness athlete, sodium bicarbonate can help you:
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Train harder
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Recover faster
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Perform better under pressure
So, next time you reach for baking soda, think beyond the cookies—you might be unlocking a new level of training potential.
