Sodium bicarbonate supplements and their effects on exercise performance.
Sodium bicarbonate or also known as baking soda is one of the most popular household product. This chemical compound has numerous amounts of uses. But recently scientific studies have claimed that sodium bicarbonate may also provide some interesting health benefits.
There is an increase in trend among health enthusiasts and athletes taking it. They use it to help them perform during intense workout sessions.
So let’s checkout how sodium bicarbonate works and will it really help in enhancing performance?
• Functionality of sodium bicarbonate.
As pH level of human body and fluids inside it is naturally close to neutral. A normal person may have a pH level of around 7.4 and 7.
Several studies have proven that one will function best when his or her acid alkaline balance remains close to the target. Human body has various ways to maintain these levels under control. But certain diseases or any other external factor can disrupt this balancing process. The most common factor found in health enthusiasts and athletes is high intensity workout session or in anaerobic exercises.
Creating energy during anaerobic pathway produces a good amount of lactic acid. Too much production of lactic acid decreases the muscle cells pH below neutral or 7.0. This will subsequently disturb the balance limits energy production, and may also reduce muscle ability to contract.
Sodium bicarbonate has slightly alkaline pH of 8.4 or around. Therefore it can surely help in raising your blood pressure slightly. Higher levels of pH in blood allows it to move from muscle cells into blood stream. This process will subsequently return the bodies pH to neutral.
• Sodium bicarbonate supplements and muscle strength coordination.
Sodium bicarbonate in some people may also help in increasing strength. During a study, it was found that experienced weight lifters who took sodium bicarbonate 60 minutes before workout were able to do six more squats in first three sets.
Several studies with such conclusions are available and suggest that sodium bicarbonate can enhance performance, especially at the beginning of the session.
Not only this, sodium bicarbonate may also benefit in muscle coordination.
• Sodium bicarbonate and its benefit in interval training.
Basically, interval training is a session in which a person alternates between intense and less intense exercises. Some studies that looked at these type of exercises found that sodium bicarbonate helped in preventing decrease in performance.
Interval training sessions are quite crucial in several sports. Studies find that sodium bicarbonate intake can benefit in judo, swimming, boxing, tennis and football.
So it’s quite clear that ability of sodium bicarbonate to help you to push through the final stages of workout. Will surely improve your workout results.
• Dosage and instructions before adding sodium bicarbonate supplements.
Nowadays, sodium bicarbonate supplements are easily available in form of capsules or tablets. Not only this, you can also purchase it as a plain baking soda powder.
But most of the studies agreed that a dose of not more than 135 mg per pound of body weight is beneficial and helpful. And it should be kept in mind that this those is always taken around one hour before the workout or exercise session.
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