People use baking soda for all types of things. It’s an excellent scrub to clean tubs and sinks. It’s also one of my favorite home remedies. The versatility of baking is amazing. It’s often used as a low abrasive tooth cleaner and drinking baking soda has long been a home remedy for an upset stomach. More recently, athletes are adopting the practice of drinking baking soda water to boost their energy. Does it work? Is it dangerous? Since baking soda is used in baking and many products, you know a little is okay, but can you ingest too much? Most of all, does it really give you an energy boost?
When you’re doing a high-intensity workout, your body releases hydrogen ions that cause the body to become more acidic. That can cause athletic performance to decline. Baking soda is a potent alkaline substance. Taking a bit of baking soda in water can help counteract the acidic condition created by the hydrogen by binding to the acids. By doing this, it can boost your energy and allow you to perform better when the workout is challenging. The neutral environment allows your muscles to work better and the metabolism of energy is increased.
One study showed that taking baking soda—sodium bicarbonate—while doing CrossFit increased performance and increases the point when you start to breath faster. That’s also the point where the body starts the accumulation of lactate and the rate of getting oxygen to the muscles limits how far you can push yourself. Other research showed it might increase power. A study in Taiwan showed that it helped prevent the decline in performance from fatigue in skilled tennis players.
The research continues to point out that taking a small amount of baking soda before an athletic event can help. Another study showed that baking soda capsules taken before an 800-meter run improved performance by 2.2 seconds. How much should you take? One research study found that taking 20 grams of baking soda in water 90 minutes before competition may help.
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