Sodium Bicarbonate

Evidence: ★★★★☆ · Status: OTC Supplement

In plain English

Baking soda makes your blood better at soaking up the acid your muscles dump during hard effort, so you last longer. The catch is it can wreck your gut.

How it works

Raises blood bicarbonate, increasing the extracellular pH buffer that pulls H⁺ out of muscle — the extracellular complement to beta-alanine's intracellular buffering.

Molecular target & official sources

Bicarbonate (PubChem CID 769) · Examine: sodium bicarbonate

Protocol

0.2–0.3 g/kg, 60–150 min pre-effort (or enteric-coated to avoid GI distress).

Watch out

GI upset is common — trial in training first.

Bottom line

Real ergogenic for repeated sprints; stomach tolerance is the limiter.

Helps with: Build Muscle & Strength · Endurance · Gut Health

The human evidence

Well-established ergogenic for repeated high-intensity efforts of ~1–10 minutes (e.g. 400–1500 m, rowing, combat sports), buffering blood acidity. Consistent meta-analytic support at ~0.2–0.3 g/kg taken 60–150 min pre-effort.

Stacks with

Beta-alanine (buffers inside the cell, bicarbonate outside it) and creatine.

Avoid combining with

GI distress is the main limiter — split the dose, take with a carb meal, or use enteric-coated capsules. High sodium load: caution if hypertensive.

Availability & where to buy

Available over the counter. Widely available OTC — e.g. iHerb (ships worldwide); in Singapore also Guardian, Watsons, GNC, Shopee / Lazada. Look for a third-party-tested / GMP mark and check the dose per serving. Almost free — plain baking soda. Capsules cost more for convenience.

Used in these protocols

• Strength Plateau

Compare Sodium Bicarbonate

• Sodium Bicarbonate vs Caffeine
• Sodium Bicarbonate vs EPO (Erythropoietin)
• Sodium Bicarbonate vs Beta-Alanine
• Sodium Bicarbonate vs L-Citrulline / Citrulline Malate
• Sodium Bicarbonate vs Beetroot / Dietary Nitrate
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• Sodium Bicarbonate vs Taurine
• Sodium Bicarbonate vs Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy / Rybelsus)