title: Sodium bicarbonate improves swimming performance.
abstract: Sodium bicarbonate ingestion has been shown to improve performance in single-bout, high intensity events, probably due to an increase in buffering capacity, but its influence on single-bout swimming performance has not been investigated. The effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on 200 m freestyle swimming performance were investigated in elite male competitors. Following a randomised, double blind counterbalanced design, 9 swimmers completed maximal effort swims on 3 separate occasions: a control trial (C); after ingestion of sodium bicarbonate (SB: NaHCO3 300 mg . kg (-1) body mass); and after ingestion of a placebo (P: CaCO3 200 mg . kg (-1) body mass). The SB and P agents were packed in gelatine capsules and ingested 90 - 60 min prior to each 200 m swim. Mean 200 m performance times were significantly faster for SB than C or P (1 : 52.2 +/- 4.7; 1 : 53.7 +/- 3.8; 1 : 54.0 +/- 3.6 min : ss; p < 0.05). Base excess, pH and blood bicarbonate were all elevated pre-exercise in the SB compared to C and P trials (p < 0.05). Post-200 m blood lactate concentrations were significantly higher following the SB trial compared with P and C (p < 0.05). It was concluded that SB supplementation can improve 200 m freestyle performance time in elite male competitors, most likely by increasing buffering capacity.
authors.affiliation: School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lindh
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Peyrebrune
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ingham
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Folland
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
chemical_list: D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate