Beyond Baking Soda: How Sodium Bicarbonate is Rewriting the Rules of Endurance Fueling
Forget everything you thought you knew about energy gels. The latest innovation isn’t about exotic sugars or novel caffeine sources – it’s about baking soda. Yes, the same sodium bicarbonate you use in the kitchen is now being strategically deployed by elite athletes, and a new gel from Mnstry is leading the charge. This isn’t just a quirky trend; it signals a fundamental shift in how athletes approach performance enhancement, moving beyond simple energy provision to actively buffering the physiological limits of endurance.
The Long, Bumpy Road to Gut-Friendly Bicarb
The idea of using sodium bicarbonate to boost athletic performance isn’t new. For decades, runners and cyclists have experimented with ingesting teaspoons of the stuff before short, intense efforts. The science is sound: bicarbonate neutralizes hydrogen ions, reducing muscle acidity and delaying fatigue. But the execution was…challenging. Early attempts often resulted in significant gastrointestinal distress – a less-than-ideal scenario when you’re pushing your body to its limits.
Enteric-coated pills and even topical lotions offered some improvement, but they remained largely pre-event solutions. The real game-changer arrived with Maurten’s “Bicarb System” in 2023, which dramatically reduced GI issues through a unique hydrogel technology. However, the mixing process wasn’t exactly practical mid-race, as famously demonstrated (and memed) by Michael Woods at the 2024 Road World Championships. This highlighted a clear need: a convenient, effective way to deliver bicarbonate during prolonged exertion.
The Four-Hour Window: Why Mid-Race Bicarb Matters
Initially, bicarbonate supplementation was thought to be beneficial only for short bursts of activity. However, emerging research suggests its effects can last up to four hours. This is critical for endurance events like cycling classics, Ironman triathlons, and ultramarathons. Athletes now understand that a sustained buffering effect, achieved through initial loading and strategic top-ups, can provide a significant advantage over the entire duration of a race. Kilian Jornet’s unconventional “soup” during the UTMB ultramarathon, while visually striking, underscored this very point.
Mnstry’s Bicarb Gel: A Potential Breakthrough
Mnstry’s “Bicarb Gel 40 Lemon 1:0.8” aims to solve the convenience problem. The gel combines 40 grams of carbohydrates (in a 1:0.8 glucose-fructose ratio, considered optimal for absorption) with 5 grams of a sodium-potassium bicarbonate mix. Crucially, the bicarbonate is “encapsulated,” a technology designed to minimize gut irritation. This encapsulation is key; it’s what allows for mid-race consumption without the explosive consequences of earlier methods.
The recommended dosage is 0.3 grams of bicarbonate per kilogram of body weight. For a 70kg athlete, that translates to roughly 21 grams, achievable with four gels or a combination of pre-event loading and in-race fueling. The gel’s rapid sell-out suggests strong demand, though widespread athlete validation is still pending.
Beyond the Gel: The Future of Bicarbonate Supplementation
Mnstry’s gel isn’t an isolated incident. It’s a sign of a broader trend: the increasing sophistication of endurance nutrition. We’re moving beyond simply providing fuel to actively manipulating physiological processes. Expect to see further innovation in bicarbonate delivery systems, potentially including:
- Personalized Dosing: Genetic testing and individual metabolic assessments could refine bicarbonate dosage recommendations.
- Novel Encapsulation Technologies: Researchers are exploring new materials and methods to further enhance bicarbonate absorption and minimize GI distress.
- Combined Supplementation: Bicarbonate may be combined with other ergogenic aids, such as beta-alanine, to create synergistic effects.
- Real-Time Monitoring: Wearable sensors could track blood pH levels, allowing athletes to adjust bicarbonate intake on the fly.
The potential benefits extend beyond elite athletes. Recreational endurance enthusiasts could also benefit from strategic bicarbonate supplementation, improving performance and reducing fatigue. However, it’s crucial to approach this with caution. Overconsumption can lead to water retention and, in the long term, potentially impact blood pressure. Consulting with a sports nutritionist or physician is highly recommended.
Sodium bicarbonate remains one of the few legally permissible performance enhancers with a solid scientific foundation. As delivery methods improve and our understanding of its effects deepens, it’s poised to become a staple in the toolkit of serious endurance athletes. The question isn’t if bicarbonate will become mainstream, but how it will be integrated into future fueling strategies.
What are your thoughts on the potential of bicarbonate supplementation? Share your experiences and predictions in the comments below!
