Beneficial effects of oral and topical sodium bicarbonate during a battery of team sport-specific exercise tests in recreationally trained male athletes.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual double-blind randomized crossover trial
PubMed 37227399 · doi:10.1080/15502783.2023.2216678
What was done
Fourteen recreationally trained male team sport athletes completed a block randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial across three experimental conditions administered ~120 minutes prior to exercise: (1) oral sodium bicarbonate (0.3 g·kg⁻¹ BM) plus placebo lotion, (2) topical PR Lotion (0.9036 g·kg⁻¹ BM NaHCO3) plus placebo capsules, or (3) double placebo. Testing included countermovement jumps (CMJ), an 8 × 25 m repeated sprint test, and the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 2 (Yo-Yo IR2) test. Blood acid-base markers (pH, bicarbonate), electrolytes, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured throughout.
What was found
Yo-Yo IR2 distance was 21% greater for oral sodium bicarbonate compared with placebo (+94 m; p = 0.009, d = 0.64), whereas topical lotion yielded a non-significant 7% increase (480 ± 122 vs. 449 ± 110 m; p = 0.084). Repeated sprint total completion time was 1.9% faster for oral sodium bicarbonate (-0.61 s; p = 0.020, d = 0.38) and 2.0% faster for topical lotion (-0.64 s; p = 0.036, d = 0.34) compared to placebo. Countermovement jump performance did not differ among treatments (p > 0.05). Blood acid-base and electrolyte values significantly increased after oral bicarbonate compared to placebo, but no differences were observed for topical lotion. Compared to placebo, RPE was lower for topical lotion after sprints 5 (p = 0.036), 6 (p = 0.012), and 8 (p = 0.040), and for oral bicarbonate after sprint 6 (p = 0.039).
Why it matters
While oral sodium bicarbonate consistently enhances high-intensity intermittent running performance and systemic blood buffering, topical bicarbonate lotion appears ineffective at transporting bicarbonate into systemic circulation despite providing modest repeated-sprint benefits.
Limits
The sample size was small (n = 14) and limited to recreationally trained males, precluding generalization to elite athletes or females. The study could not identify the physiological mechanism underlying the sprint improvements observed with topical lotion given the absence of systemic acid-base changes.
Cited by
- partial Sodium bicarbonate topical creams applied 30 to 60 minutes before exercise acutely improve high-intensity performance without causing GI distress.