Baking powder improves performance??

well, maybe, I found this article...

I think baking soda will aid performance (sodium bicarbonate)in events with high levels of lactate buil-up. Not sure about baking powder...although my cakes come out better with powder than soda...go figure!

When I played hockey in high school, we used to drink Bromo Seltzer before games and practices. It's supposed to release gas and acid build up. Build-up happens quicker when skating than in running and it seemed to help. Plus, you get some funny burping contests going.

bicarb loading, in theory, counteracts lactic acid build up and allows a runner to "tie up" slightly later in the race. a mixture of baking soda and water (ratio to the body comp of the person) drank about an hour to 2 before a race is supposed to do the trick.

I've heard the same thing about off setting lactic acid buildup, and I've heard from a friend that it actually works when he tried it, if you can stand shitting your brains out afterward. For some reason taking strait baking soda gives you the squirts from hell, even shitting some blood. But maybe taking it with the right ratio of water takes care of that. Give it a try and let us know!

I think Bromo is a baking soda-based drink. But I never remember having the squirts. Just the burps.

It helps buffer acid build-up, but it's certainly not something you take before a race without having tested your body's tolerance to it for the reasons mentioned! Sodium phosphate is better I believe in this regard, you'll find it in preparations such as Phosphagen etc.

doesn't the weight gain counteract the advantage of the lactate buffering?

JonnyO wrote:

doesn't the weight gain counteract the advantage of the lactate buffering?

If you're talking about Phosphagen particularly possibly since some of the formulations contain creatine I believe. Sodium phosphate itself wouldn't add noticable weight.

Phil, anything with sodium in it will cause either water retetion or dehydration.

Here's the deal guys. Baking soda, like the stuff your mom keeps in the refrigerator to keep food fresh, does improve performance like everyone else is saying. You need to take .3grams per kg of bodyweight 2 hours before exercise for it to be effective. A better way to do it is to take sodium citrate. You can buy that at any GNC or whatever. Just mix it with water, .5 grams per kg of bodyweight, 2 hours before exercise, and you'll be good to go. Its effects are most noticeable during hard interval workouts and 800-1500m races. You WILL get the shits from either of these, so I take 3 or 4 immodium pills along with the stuff to keep it all under control. Sodium citrate doesn't upset your stomach as easily as baking soda either. But they both work well, just experiment and see which one you like best. Best part is, neither is illegal to take before competition, and its easy to find and quite cheap. Sounds good to me.

taking that stuff is CHEATING!!

no i dont think it is cheating, but i dont see how it would work either because the amount of water retention you would have if you ingested the amounts suggested, would make you gain so much weight that it would counteract the benefits.

Is this the same effect as Phos Fuel, which is phosphate loading? Phos Fuel you need to take throughout the day during the three days prior to a competition. I have found it to my liking, but if I can take some other crap and run even better I'll do it.

It sounds like you've done it, so I can't exactly disagree. The original concept was to take that amount of baking soda, probably without all the water. The gastrointestinal distress would start 30 minutes (or so) afterward. So using it for a 10K would be pushing one's luck. But in large amounts, it apparently could make a huge difference.

There was an article about it back in the 80's. I can remember the distance (particularly middle distance) guys all debating whether they'd take it if it could knock 5 or 10 seconds off their 1500 time, and whether it was cheating. The vote was about even. I came down on the yes, it's cheating side. Based on the fact that there's no "natural" reason to take that much of the stuff.

I weigh 72kg so that's 21.6 grams of sodium bicarbonate or 36 grams of sodium citrate, come on guys, thats an extra 5 pounds of water retention you would need to store that amount of sodium, surely that would outweigh the benefits?

Well, you actually end up feeling kinda dehydrated once its in your system. I don't drink 5 lbs of water along with it. And also, I doubt your body ends up storing all that sodium. A lot of it you end up shitting out before the immodium kicks in. The point is to saturate your system with the buffer and your body will hold onto as much as it possibly can, and get rid of the rest. Then you'll be able to buffer the lactic acid better and run faster. I don't consider it cheating because the IOC doesn't ban it. Is it doping? Well, yeah probably, but until its specifically banned by the governing bodies of our sport, anyone who doesn't take it is putting themselves at a disadvantage to those who do, in my humble opinion. Just another way to look at it.

What are squirts?

Do you wear a diaper when you run or do you just go with the flow and let it run down you leg into your shoe squishing between your toes?