Scientific trials have shown that it can improve average running times in the 800m by 2.2 seconds, or knock 1.5 seconds off the time of a 200m swimmer
It is thought that, as an alkali, it works by mitigating the effects of lactic acid etc in the muscles
The drawback is that it tastes appalling & can cause gastric upsets in some people
Hopes are pinned on a manufacturer coming up with a drink or a capsule. Meanwhile the advice is to take it with water
I have a tip which I offer free, gratis & for nothing
Try taking it in hot water
This is an old fashioned (pre-NHS) sovereign remedy for indigestion
Half fill a cup with water which is just off the boil. Add a heaped teaspoonful of bicarb
That would be about 10g I guess. The suggested dose for an athlete is 20g, so they would need a larger mug or heat-proof tumbler & 2 heaped teaspoonfuls of bicarb
The reason for only half-filling the cup is that the soda wil fizz, foam & froth & rise up the cup
As soon as the foaming just starts to subside, drink it down in one go. I do not find the taste at all unpleasant, though it is not something one would drink purely for pleasure
One result, within minutes, will be a very satisfying burp – for the kind of ‘indigestion’ it was used for is, in fact, flatulence or trapped air
The relief could in itself be a performance enhancer, especially if pre-race nerves mean that you tend to swallow air, with all its attendant discomforts. Or you could try just sipping it, which may not produce the same explosive effect
There does not seem to be much chance of it being classed as a banned drug. I wonder if proprietary antacids are so banned - or if they would produce the same effect?
Links: Is bicarbonate of soda a performance-enhancing drug? - Times Online
Sodium Bicarbonate Improves Swimming Performance
SODA DOPING RAISES ETHICAL ISSUES AS PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING AID
