Sodium bicarbonate and football performance

Sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, is a popular household product. It has many uses, ranging from cooking to cleaning and personal hygiene. However, sodium bicarbonate may also provide some other interesting benefits. Many athletes use it to help them perform during intense training.

During anaerobic exercise, your body’s demand for oxygen exceeds the available supply. As a result, your muscles cannot rely on oxygen to produce energy. Instead, they must switch to a different pathway — the anaerobic pathway. Creating energy through the anaerobic pathway produces lactic acid. Too much lactic acid decreases your muscle cells’ pH below the optimal 7.0. This disrupted balance limits energy production and may also reduce your muscles’ ability to contract. Both of these effects ultimately lead to fatigue, which reduces exercise performance. ☹️

Sodium bicarbonate has an alkaline pH of 8.4 and can therefore raise your blood pH slightly.
Higher blood pH allows acid to move from muscle cells into the bloodstream, returning their pH to 7.0. This enables the muscles to continue contracting and producing energy. 🙂 Scientists believe this is the primary way that sodium bicarbonate can help you exercise harder, faster or for longer. 💪🏻