• J A Potteiger, M J Webster, G L Nickel, M D Haub, and R J Palmer.
• Exercise Physiology Laboratory, University of Kansas 66045, USA.
• Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1996 Jan 1; 72 (4): 365-71.

AbstractWe examined the effects of sodium bicarbonate (BIC) and sodium citrate (CIT) ingestion on distance running performance. Seven male runners [mean VO2max = 61.7 (SEM 1.7) ml.kg-1.min-1] performed three 30-min treadmill runs at the lactate threshold (LT) each followed by a run to exhaustion at 110% of LT. The runs were double-blind and randomly assigned from BIC (0.3 g.kg body mass-1), CIT (0.5 g.kg body mass-1) and placebo (PLC, wheat flour, 0.5 g.kg body mass-1). Venous blood samples were collected at 5, 15 and 25 min during the run and immediately post-exhaustion (POST-EX) and analysed for pH, and the concentrations of lactate ([la-]b) and bicarbonate ([HCO3-]). Performance was measured as running time to exhaustion at 110% of LT (TIME-EX). The pH was significantly higher (P < or = 0.05) for the BIC and CIT trials during exercise, but not POST-EX compared to PLC. The [la-]b was significantly higher (P < or = 0.05) for the CIT trial compared to PLC during exercise, and for both CIT and BIC compared to PLC at POST-EX. Blood [HCO3-] was significantly higher (P < or = 0.05) during exercise for BIC compared to PLC. TIME-EX was not significantly different among treatments: BIC 287 (SEM 47.4)s; CIT 172.8 (SEM 29.7)s; and PLC 222.3 (SEM 39.7)s. Despite the fact that buffer ingestion produced favourable metabolic conditions during 30 min of high intensity steady-state exercise, a significant improvement in the subsequent maximal exercise run to exhaustion did not occur.

21 keywords...

hide…