Sodium bicarbonate (sports)

Tier 2 — promising · Buffering · Endurance · Sprint

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is an evidence-based ergogenic aid that acts as an extracellular buffer, raising blood pH and facilitating hydrogen ion efflux from working muscles during high-intensity exercise. The de Oliveira 2021 comprehensive meta-analysis of 189 studies across 2,019 participants (PMID 34687438) found a positive overall effect on exercise capacity and performance (ES 0.17, 95% CrI 0.12–0.21), with greatest benefit for efforts lasting 0.5–10 minutes. A 2025 meta-analysis of 11 RCTs (PMID 41416636) found negligible benefit specifically for continuous running performance…

Dose: 0.2–0.3 g/kg body weight 60–90 minutes before exercise; 0.3 g/kg is most studied. Split the dose into smaller portions taken every 10–15 minutes, or use enteric-coated capsules, to reduce GI distress.