I don’t think @redlude97 really needs advice on picking a bicarb loading protocol…but in the interest of completeness, two approaches:
1.) 0.3g/kg taken ~60 minutes before exercise.
2.) 0.2g/kg taken 90 minutes before exercise; 0.2g/kg taken 60 minutes before exercise.
Some tips…
Common name brand baking soda may or may not be sodium bicarb. I recommend just going on the internet and specifically searching for 100% sodium bicarb. You can get ‘pharma grade’ for…maybe $5/lb or less?
After taking the dose it takes about 90 to 120 minutes for things to ‘break loose’ if it’s going to go bad.
I use bicarb a lot and I wouldn’t use it as a race day performance enhancer. Too dicey. But it does have some utility for VO2max or Anaerobic capacity workouts that are going to be tough. It helps produce more adaptive stimulus and improves post-workout recovery.
Just for reference…7.72g/l sodium citrate & 4.5g/l table salt…that’s what Greenleaf mixed for the high sodium cohort. Consume 7 equal portions, one portion every 10 minutes.
I used this protocol again this afternoon. This time I used a little over 9 grams of NaCl. Still, no gastric issues. Not able to say how much it improved performance but definitely it doesn’t seem like the protocol inhibits performance in any way.
Preloading makes sense in terms of a buffer. It’s how a lot of supplements are proposed the consumer when recommending dosages.
Random tangent - Does this have a positive effect on cramping during swimming? I drink electrolyte powder mixed into drinks several times a day to try combat this.
For ref: Bulkpowders - (Na 260mg, K 77mg, Ca 47mg Mg 7.5mg)
Maybe! But I don’t know for sure since typically cramps aren’t a problem for me. There doesn’t seem to be much downside to giving it a try…so why not. With the caveat that apparently there is some individual variability to tolerating the protocol. (Sorry @Dr_Alex_Harrison !)
This protocol seems to be effective at improving endurance in 1 to 2 hour events performed in warm/humid weather. Primarily because it helps the athlete keep body temp lower.
I tried this in an actual competition. 40k time trial, first real hot day of the year. Low 90s, 95%+ humidity. Really the only sort of situation where this type thing would apply (or maybe a crit in hot weather).
Smashed a PR in the 40k TT by just over 2min. Won a state championship.
I think most of that is attributable to just training and fitness. But just the same, sodium loading certainly didn’t hurt. Historically, this type of temp/weather has really degraded my results. I’ve never been able to produce even average results in those conditions let alone PRs.
So, I don’t know. Maybe? Bottom line for me: it doesn’t make me slower.
@brennus
Are you still using disodium citrate? Any reason you’re not using trisodium citrate? Just matching the protocol used by the research team in the Greenleaf paper? (I have not read it)
I think most of what I see on amazon is trisodium citrate.
it’s labeled as di but I wouldn’t bet my life on those assay results. I’m just using it because I already had most of a 500g bag sitting in my freezer. Happy coincidence.
It’d be simple enough to correct tri-sodium citrate amount to maintain the same total amount of sodium, I guess. Probably better to go that route rather than see if a little more is ok. How many grams of sodium in a tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate?
Mixed 7.72g/l sodium citrate & 4.5g/l table salt in a liter of water. 1 hour 45 minutes before start time, drink 150ml. Wait 10 minutes, drink 150ml. Wait 10 minutes, drink 150ml. Etc until the entire liter is consumed. Warm up. Race.
How many grams of sodium in a tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate?
