Over the past several years, running technology has skyrocketed— new shoe tech, carbon plates, fancy gps watches, advanced hydration products and gels, and lactate threshold testing, to name a few, contributing to faster times in recent years.
World records seem to constantly get broken as these advancements promote quicker paces and improved recovery capabilities.
If you follow the world of professional running at all, you may have heard about the latest trend in game-changing nutrition: bicarbonate, or “bicarb.”
Many pro running groups have incorporated this bicarb technology into their training regimens, and it seems to be a hot topic lately! This had us curious to learn more about it…
First, let’s get to the basics on this cutting-edge sports fuel: what even is bicarbonate?
Bicarbonate is also known as sodium bicarbonate, or commonly—baking soda. Bicarb acts as a natural buffer that helps maintain the pH system in the body.
Similar to when someone struggling with acid reflux takes Tums to relieve rising stomach acidity after a meal, runners can use bicarb to buffer the acidity in muscles that results from high-intensity workouts.
During hard intervals, for example, the body produces hydrogen ions (lactic acid) leading to a decrease in pH levels (by the way, lactic acid is not the enemy here, but that’s another rabbit hole). That reduced pH level causes runners to slow down, and if their bodies aren’t efficient at buffering acidity, then performance becomes negatively impacted.
So bicarb essentially helps reduce the acidity that gets produced in the muscles, which in turn improves performance and promotes faster recovery.
Throughout training, the body will naturally become more efficient at buffering blood-lactate levels, but bicarb offers a performance-enhancing aid for those athletes looking for an extra advantage.
Interestingly, bicarb has actually been heavily researched and is not a new concept… it’s just becoming popularized by the leading running nutrition brand, Maurten, through their innovative nutrition product technology.
Research indicates that consuming bicarb can improve performance and a runner’s anaerobic efficiency. However, ingesting bicarb in the past has caused major GI issues in runners until Maurten discovered a way to make digesting it easier using their Hydrogel Technology. The brand’s Hydrogel system encapsulates the bicarb and carries it through the stomach for easier absorption.
Maurten offers their version of the Bicarb System, which they describe as “an advanced sports fuel designed to help athletes push the boundaries of effort and power during high-intensity exercise.” On their website, they even have you input your weight and experience-level with the product before buying it so they can specify the recommended individual dose for each athlete. And it’s not cheap— a 4-serving box of Maurten’s Bicarb System retails for $70.
So is it really worth it?
As professional marathoner CJ Albertson said on the Citius Mag podcast, “[bicarb] is just another tool and it depends how you use it.” He also discussed how it could depend on the event you specialize in, and on your individual ability to buffer acidity in your muscles during workouts. Typically, bicarb is used for middle distance runners who race events such as the 800m or 1500m, but can be beneficial for any event including the marathon.
Pro marathoner and Paris Olympian Clayton Young also discussed bicarb in a Citius Mag interview during the podcast’s rendition of “overrated, underrated or properly rated,” and stated that the hardest part about using bicarb is that you have to get up 3 hours before your long run or workout in order to take it, which makes using it tough for early morning runners.
Young used bicarb in training leading up to his top-10 performance in the Paris Olympic Marathon, and also took it on race day for his recent 7th-place NYC Marathon finish. However, Young said he didn’t actually train with it during his NYC build— instead, he opted for more sleep rather than waking up extra early to use bicarb.
In the end, as Albertson stated, it’s just another tool, and sometimes the basics (like sleep) are needed most to enhance running performance.
And if you're looking for another way to gain an edge and improve your performance, we can help through our specialized services including one-on-one individualized physical therapy, 3D Running Analysis, strength & conditioning, and run coaching!
At AWAKEN, our goal is to help you get out of pain, stay out of pain, and AWAKEN YOUR POTENTIAL!!!
We're passionate about helping runners, athletes, and active adults receive the highest level of care to get stronger than before!
Written by: Mackenzie Lowe and Dr. Gregory Lowe DPT, PT, cert. MDT, CSCS
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