This guide is designed to help you properly use the Carbs Fuel Bicarb product.
Background
The primary role of sodium bicarbonate (or colloquially known as “bicarb”) is to increase the buffering capacity of an individual so that it can help mitigate the decrease in pH that occurs from the production of hydrogen ions (H+; acid) during high intensity exercise. This allows an individual to exercise at a higher intensity for a greater period of time, pushing harder for longer. Bicarbonate is an anion (an anion is an ion that carries a negative charge) that comes in various salt forms with the most common being sodium bicarbonate.
There are data to support the performance improvements (1-3%) of sodium bicarbonate for short duration (45 seconds - 8 minutes) efforts. However, there is a growing pool of research data that is exploring the ergogenic benefits of using sodium bicarbonate to benefit endurance performance, specifically in race situations where there can be interspersed high intensity efforts.
The ergogenic dose of sodium bicarbonate has been well studied. Without sodium bicarbonate supplementation, baseline blood bicarbonate concentration ranges between 22 to 29 mmol/L. With suggested ergogenic doses, bicarbonate concentration in the blood can spike five to six mmol/L above baseline. To achieve this, it is suggested that between 0.2-0.3 grams of sodium bicarbonate per kilogram of body weight (g/kg) is sufficient to provide performance benefits. Higher doses (> 0.4 g/kg) has been shown to increase the risk of gut distress while providing no further benefit compared to 0.3 g/kg.
Below is a table to help decide how many grams of sodium bicarbonate should be consumed based on body weight.
The Carbs Fuel Sodium Bicarb Product
We have developed a simple, yet effective sodium bicarbonate product that utilizes enteric capsules that protect the sodium bicarbonate from the acidic environment (pH of 1.5-3.5) of the stomach and delivers the sodium bicarbonate into the small intestine where it is readily released and absorbed in the less acidic environment (pH 5.5-7.0). This helps to minimize the chances of bloating and premature release of the sodium bicarbonate in the stomach where it is not well absorbed. Each capsule contains one gram of sodium bicarbonate and is provided in three pre-packaged amounts to meet the individual needs. Offered in 15 gram, 20 gram, and 25 grams per serving, these capsules can be consumed before and even during training or racing.
Dosage Recommendations
We recommend starting with 0.2 g/kg if you are new to using bicarb. If your gut can tolerate this amount, then increasing to 0.3 g/kg should be the next progression. Because each capsule contains one gram of sodium bicarbonate, it is easy to modulate the amounts between 0.2 g/kg and 0.3 g/kg. At no point is it recommended to consume more than 0.4 g/kg as there appears to be limited additional benefit beyond this amount. It is recommended to take the individualized dose of bicarb between 90-120 minutes before time for desired effect. There is research to suggest that there is interindividual variation when peak bicarbonate levels are achieved in the blood with ranges between 60-180 minutes after consumption. Furthermore, the form (capsule, powder, etc.) in which you consume sodium bicarbonate can influence this as well. It has also been recommended that GI distress is lowest when sodium bicarbonate is consumed with a carbohydrate rich meal. Specifically, 1.5 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight and 7 milliliters of fluid per kilogram of body weight. Regardless, it is best to experiment with the amount and timing of consuming bicarb in training before attempting on race day.
For longer (multi-hour) endurance competition, there is early research that a “top up” strategy may be beneficial for race performance. The evidence suggests that this strategy improves end of race sprint performance with taking a preloading dose prior to an endurance event then taking a top up dose during the event. Dalle et al. found that by splitting the typical dosage (0.3 g/kg) of sodium bicarbonate in half with the first half taken prior to competition, then the other half taken during competition, 90 second sprint performance could be improved over those who did not consume bicarb during a three hour simulated race.
