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Int J Sports Med 2019; 40(11): 711-716
DOI: 10.1055/a-0978-5139
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Effect of Stacked Sodium Bicarbonate Loading on Repeated All-out Exercise

Sebastiaan Dalle
1   Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
,
Stefan De Smet
1   Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
,
Willem Geuns
2   Bakala Academy Athletic Performance Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
,
Bart Van Rompaye
3   Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, UGent, Gent, Belgium
,
Peter Hespel
1   Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
2   Bakala Academy Athletic Performance Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
,
Katrien Koppo
1   Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History



accepted 05 July 2019

Publication Date:
21 August 2019 (online)

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether NaHCO3, administered via a 9-h stacked loading protocol (i.e. repeated supplementation with small doses in order to obtain a gradual increase in blood [HCO3 -]), has an ergogenic effect on repeated all-out exercise. Twelve physically active males were randomly assigned to receive either NaHCO3 (BIC) or placebo (PL) in a double-blind cross-over design. NaHCO3 supplementation was divided in three identical 3-h cycles: a 6.3 g bolus at the start, followed by 2.1 g doses at +1-h and +2-h, yielding a total NaHCO3 intake of 0.4 g·kg−1 BM over 9-h. At the end of each cycle, participants performed 2-min all-out cycling. Capillary blood samples were analyzed for [HCO3 -], pH and [La-]. Pre-exercise blood [HCO3 -] in PL decreased from 25.6±0.2 mmol·L−1 in bout 1 to 23.6±0.2 mmol·L−1 in bout 4, while increasing from 25.5±0.2 to 31.2±0.4 mmol·L−1 in BIC (P<0.05). Concomitantly, pre-exercise pH values gradually decreased in PL (from 7.41±0.00 to 7.39±0.01) and increased in BIC (from 7.41±0.01 to 7.47±0.01; P<0.05). Mean power output of the four bouts was higher in BIC (428±20 W) than in PL (420±20 W; P<0.05). The ergogenic effect on repeated all-out exercise occurred in the absence of gastrointestinal distress.

Key words

buffer capacity - muscle energetics - sprint performance - cycling
 

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