title: Sodium bicarbonate ingestion improves performance in interval swimming.
abstract: In an effort to determine the effects of bicarbonate (NaHCO3) ingestion on exercise performance, ten male college swimmers were studied during five different trials. Each trial consisted of five 91.4 m (100-yd) front crawl swims with a two-minute rest interval between each bout. The trials consisted of two NaHCO3 treatments, two placebo trials and one test with no-drink. One hour before the onset of swimming, the subjects were given 300 ml of citric acid flavored solution containing either 17 mmol of NaCl (placebo) or 2.9 mmol of NaHCO3.kg-1 body weight (experimental), or received no drink (no-drink). Performance times for each 91.4 m swim were recorded. Blood samples were obtained before and one hr after treatment, two min after warmup, and two min after the final 91.4 m sprint. Blood pH, lactate, standard bicarbonate (SBC) and base excess (BE) were measured. No differences were found for performance or the blood measurements between the placebo and no-drink trials. Bicarbonate feedings, on the other hand, produced a significant (P less than 0.05) improvement in performance on the fourth and fifth swimming sprints. Blood lactate, pH, SBC and BE were significantly higher (P less than 0.05) at post-exercise in NaHCO3 treatments. These data are in agreement with previous findings that during repeated bouts of exercise pre-exercise administration of NaHCO3 improves performance, possibly by facilitating the efflux of hydrogen ions from working muscles and thereby delaying the onset of fatigue.
authors.affiliation: Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Costill
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Horswill
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004326:Drinking; D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012964:Sodium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D001639:Bicarbonates; D007773:Lactates; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate; D012964:Sodium