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Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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24.05.2014 |
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Sodium bicarbonate for strength training? Only works at start of workout
Sodium bicarbonate is a buffer. It neutralises the hydrogen ions/lactic acid released during intense physical exertion, and it extends the amount of time that athletes can keep going at high intensity.
For an overview of our postings on sodium bicarb click here. And yes, one of them is on the positive effects of sodium bicarbonate on strength training. It's about an American study done in 2013, in which bodybuilders were able to perform longer sets after taking sodium bicarbonate.
The researchers had dissolved the sodium bicarbonate in water. They used 5 ml water per 0.3 g sodium bicarb.
The workout consisted of three sets of squats, followed by three sets of bench presses. The load was 80 percent of the weight at which the subjects could just manage 1 rep – the 1RM. Between sets the subjects rested for three minutes.
Taking sodium bicarbonate increased the number of reps the subjects were capable of doing during the first exercise: the squats. The effect of sodium bicarbonate on the second exercise was minimal.
The researchers suspect that during the squats sodium bicarbonate supplementation not only helped the athletes perform more reps, but also caused them to become more fatigued. And as a result there was no visible ergogenic effect of sodium bicarbonate during the second exercise.
Three of the eight subjects developed stomach ache from the sodium bicarb supplement, but that did not impede their performance.
But even if your stomach and gut can stand sodium bicarbonate it's not a supplement to use daily. A strength athlete weighing 80 kg would need 24 g, which contains 6 g sodium.
The average inhabitant of an industrialised country already consumes 10 g sodium daily – and that's far too much. Nutritionists say that 6 g daily is the maximum we should consume.
High sodium intake levels lead to high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries and numerous other negative health effects. To up your daily sodium intake by another 6 g a day is not a sensible idea.
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