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Soda-doping proven to work

firecross

firecross

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Scientists have proven what athletes have been claiming for years - that Granny's old cure-all, bicarbonate of soda, can enhance performance.

'Soda-doping', as it is known amongst professional sportsmen, can have a significant effect on endurance and speed.

Baking soda appears to work best to enhance speed. A study at Loughborough University found that of nine swimmers who took baking soda before an event, eight reduced their times, the Times reports.

Jonathan Folland, who led the study, said: 'Essentially, sodium bicarbonate is an alkali substance that increases the pH of the blood.

'This seems to reduce and offset the acidity produced in the muscles during intense, anaerobic exercise that produces lactic acid most quickly, such as fast running or swimming.'

Sodium bicarbonate, as anyone whose taken it for indigestion knows, reduces acids - helping the body to deal with the acidic waste products produced during exercise, that tire us more quickly.

But the substance isn't a miracle-worker - shaving seconds, not minutes, off performance time - so that only the most proficient athletes will notice a difference.

The swimmers in the Loughborough study cut 1.5 seconds from their 200m time. Which is hardly significant for most of us who take a leisurely few laps up and down the pool.

A study at the American College of Sports Medicine found that runners could also improve performance with baking soda.

But the substance - used before modern times as a household cleaning agent - can cause upset stomachs, and tastes foul. 'It is not dangerous, but it tastes appalling,' warns Dr Folland.

He says that only those who are very serious about sport should try the white powder, which may cause diarrhoea.
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1.5sec is the difference from not making running back on the football team, to being in the newspaper for best running back
 
Very interesting stuff..i think im gonna try it
 
ya bro u can mix baking soda in 1 L of water drink 2 hrs b4 race n it does: delay muscle fatigue, reduce lactic acid, increase endurance performance, increase power output, increase training volume, and improve bone health-from the essentials of sports nutrion and supplements txt book
 
Beta-Alanine and Sodium Phosphate would be much better options, without the possibility of diarrhea or throwing up.
w w w.poweringmuscles.com/article.php?id=77
(take out the spaces)
 
Yeah 1.5 seconds is insane. Most professional athletes would give a nut for a 1.5sec increase. If you look at olympic 200m swims and runs, a lot of the time the spread from 1st to last isnt 1.5sec.
 
It's a pretty old concept. Dosing should be ~.3g/kg for an ergogenic effect without going overboard on sides (e.g. diarrhea).
 
Isn't bicarb doping tested for in professional competitions (talking the Olympics, not powerlifting meets)? I know it's tested for in things like horse races.
 
I tried this for a little while last year. I don't remember anything too significant about it. It would have an effect similar to creatine or beta-alanine in that it would kick in on later reps towards failure possibly helping to get an extra rep at most.
 
Old news, for runners, swimmers, etc, at the top of their game already, somebody average might not even notice a difference, although as others said, 1.5 sec could make a difference for somebody average too.
 
It works, but the benefits are seen most dramatically in endurance events like running or biking.
 
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