Sodium Bicarbonate: So Good It Was Almost Banned

The World Anti-Doping Agency almost banned sodium bicarbonate in the '80s and '90s. Clearly they knew it was an incredible performance enhancer. 

But what's so special about it?

Sodium bicarbonate is a powerful performance supplement, especially for high-intensity activities. It works by helping your body manage acid buildup during intense exercise. It's a a natural buffer that helps keep your muscles working longer before fatigue sets in.

Lift more and run faster, longer, remember?

Let's be more specific.

If you're looking to use sodium bicarbonate to supercharge your performance, it has the most impressive benefits for high-intensity activities:

• Intense runs. 400m, 800m, an all-out mile.
• Sports with repeated sprints like basketball and soccer.
• Circuit training and HIIT workouts.
• Swimming and cycling events
• Lifting weights. 

How does it work? The science behind it is simple. When you exercise hard, your muscles produce lactic acid, which causes that burning sensation and eventually makes you slow down or stop. Sodium bicarbonate helps neutralize the acid, letting you push harder and longer before hitting that wall. In other words, you keep going while everyone else slows down.

Okay, give me some examples.

Research shows some solid performance improvements:

• Athletes can typically perform 2-3 more reps during intense exercise sets.
• Swimmers and runners often see 1-3% improvements in race times
• People report being able to train at higher intensities for longer.
• Recovery between high-intensity efforts tends to be faster.
• There's evidence it could help reduce muscle soreness after exercise. 

For basically any physical activity, sodium bicarbonate can improve performance. There are also health benefits, but that's a topic for another day. 

Oh, and just so we're clear: WADA never actually banned sodium bicarbonate, because it's a naturally occurring substance and its in everyday products. They just considered it because of the performance boost. 

Now, for the disclaimers: do your own research, talk to your doctor, don't expect it to fix your busted jump shot.