#sodium bicarbonate

3 articles

Bicarb Gels Mid-Ride Added 12 W Late in a 3-Hour Cycling Test

BY DR. GYMBRO · Oct 31, 2026

What if the best time to take bicarbonate isn't before the race, but during it? A new randomized crossover trial in 11 trained cyclists tested bicarbonate-plus-carb gels across 3 hours of riding. In the fatigued state afterward, 12-minute time-trial power was 12 W higher than with carbs alone, and stomach symptoms didn't differ. But sprints and 2-minute efforts showed no significant gain, the sample was tiny, and the products came from MNSTRY. Here's what the numbers really say.

A wide, editorial-style still life shot from a slightly elevated angle on a pale, warm-gray concrete surface lit by soft natural window light from the left. In the center foreground, a clear glass of cloudy water sits beside a small white ceramic bowl heaping with fine white baking soda powder, a wooden measuring spoon resting beside it with a light dusting of powder spilling across the surface in a graceful arc. Next to them, a minimalist digital kitchen scale in matte white shows a small portion of powder in a shallow dish. Slightly behind, an orange basketball is partially in frame, its pebbled texture catching the light, resting beside a pair of clean white and coral athletic sneakers with the laces loosely undone. A folded charcoal gray towel and a stainless steel stopwatch lie to the right, the stopwatch face crisp and legible. Three small, neatly arranged piles of white powder on a slate tile in the midground, in ascending sizes, hint at different doses without any text or labels. In the soft-focus background, the faint outline of an indoor basketball court with warm honey-colored hardwood floor and blurred lane lines stretches across the frame, glowing with golden-hour light. The color palette is restrained and modern: warm off-white, soft gray, burnt orange, and touches of sage green from a single sprig of mint or eucalyptus laid near the glass. Shallow depth of field, crisp textures on powder grains and the ball's surface, gentle shadows, subtle film-like grain. Clean negative space in the upper right for headline overlay. The mood is calm, sleek, and contemporary, like a premium health and sports science magazine cover, with a fresh, minimalist composition and no people, no text, and no futuristic elements.

nutrition

Baking Soda + Sprints: The Dose That Beat Placebo on Every Test

BY DR. GYMBRO · Oct 27, 2026

A new randomized trial in basketball players found that adding sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to four weeks of sprint interval training beat placebo on jumping, sprinting, agility, Yo-Yo distance and Wingate power. The higher dose of 0.45 g/kg then outperformed 0.3 g/kg on every single measure. That makes it a cheap, tempting add-on for team-sport athletes. But the stomach is the catch, and the study is small, short and male-only. Here's the dose math, the GI-distress workarounds, and who this actually applies to.

A wide, editorial-style flat lay photographed from above on a pale warm-gray stone countertop in soft morning window light. On the left, a simple white ceramic bowl holds fine white baking soda powder, with a vintage wooden spoon resting beside it and a light dusting of powder spilling across the surface. In the center, three identical clear glass tumblers sit in a neat row, each filled with a slightly different cloudy liquid: one almost clear, one milky white, one faintly yellow-tinged. Small kraft paper labels tied to the glasses with twine remain blank. To the right, a minimalist silver stopwatch lies on a folded navy athletic towel, its hands frozen mid-count. A few fresh lemon halves and a single sprig of mint add a bright, natural accent near the citrate glass. A pair of worn but clean women's running shoes sits partly in frame at the upper right corner, laces loose, hinting at an athlete without showing a person. Subtle long shadows fall diagonally across the scene, giving depth and a calm, modern feel. The color palette is muted and cohesive: chalky whites, soft sage green, warm sand, deep navy, and small pops of lemon yellow. Shallow depth of field gently blurs the edges, with crisp focus on the center glasses and stopwatch. Plenty of clean negative space across the top third leaves room for a headline overlay. The overall look is a trendy health and performance journal: clean, tactile, slightly grainy film-like texture, natural and understated, with no text, no logos, and no futuristic elements.

nutrition

Baking Soda Beat Sodium Citrate and the Combo by 17 Seconds

BY DR. GYMBRO · Oct 21, 2026

Everyone assumes that stacking buffers beats taking just one. In a crossover trial of ten highly trained female CrossFit athletes, sodium bicarbonate cut 6-km time trial time by 21.5 seconds versus placebo, while sodium citrate and the combo weren't clearly better than placebo. Bicarbonate also beat citrate by 11.6 seconds and the combination by 17.2 seconds. The catch was more pre-exercise stomach discomfort. Here is what the study found, why the stack flopped, and how to trial it safely.