Endurance athletes constantly look for ways to enhance performance, delay fatigue, and improve recovery. This includes finding the right supplements to support their efforts.
Among the many supplements available on the market, beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate stand out and have gained attention for their potential to improve endurance and athletic performance.
These two compounds can create a synergistic effect, offering unique advantages for athletes engaged in short bursts of extreme intensity, such as sprinting or riding uphill.
The double acid buffering effect of beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate allows you to increase your endurance in all types of physical activity.
What Is Beta-alanine?
Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that plays a crucial role in the synthesis of carnosine, a dipeptide that acts as a buffer against acid in muscles.
During high-intensity exercise, lactic acid accumulates in the muscles, leading to muscle fatigue and decreased performance. By increasing carnosine levels in the muscles, beta-alanine helps neutralize lactic acid, thereby delaying the onset of fatigue and allowing athletes to push harder for longer periods.
Research suggests that supplementing with beta-alanine can significantly improve performance, particularly in activities lasting between 1–4 minutes, such as sprinting or riding uphill. However, beta-alanine can also benefit long-distance endurance athletes by improving overall muscle endurance.
Beta-alanine buffers lactic acid within the cell.
What Is Sodium Bicarbonate?
Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, is a powerful ergogenic aid. It functions as a buffering agent, helping to maintain the pH balance in the body during intense exercise.
By neutralizing the acidity caused by lactic acid buildup, sodium bicarbonate can enhance performance, particularly in high-intensity, short-duration efforts.
Sodium bicarbonate is more popular than ever in activities that require sustained power output, such as repeated sprints or high-intensity intervals. However, as beta-alanine, it is also great for enhancing endurance by prolonging the time to exhaustion.
Sodium bicarbonate buffers lactic acid outside the cell, i.e. in the bloodstream.
The Synergy of Beta-alanine and Sodium Bicarbonate
While both beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate provide great benefits individually, their combined effects can be particularly beneficial for endurance athletes.
Enhanced Acid Buffering
Both supplements buffer lactic acid, but they do so through different mechanisms. Beta-alanine increases muscle carnosine levels, while sodium bicarbonate neutralizes acidity in the bloodstream. Together, they create a more robust buffering system, allowing athletes to endure higher intensities without succumbing to physical fatigue.
Improved Performance
Endurance sports often encompass a range of intensities, from steady-state efforts to short bursts of high intensity. The combination of beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate can enhance athletes' performance across various intensities, making it a flexible option for all endurance activities.
Beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate allow you to improve performance in all type of endurance activity.
Psychological factor
While not scientifically confirmed, athletes are more willing to push their limits if they know there is less chance of pain and suffering.
Helps with Recovery
The buffering effects of both beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate improve recovery after intense training sessions. By reducing muscle acidity, you will experience less soreness and recover more quickly.
For optimal recovery, you should combine beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate with a high-quality recovery drink, such as Regen.
The Intake of Beta-Alanine and Sodium Bicarbonate
Beta-alanine requires a loading phase to develop its benefits, while sodium bicarbonate can be taken shortly before physical activity. Therefore, some strategic thinking about taking both supplements is needed.
Beta-alanine
Beta-alanine requires a loading phase! To experience significant benefits from beta-alanine, take 4 to 8 grams daily for about 2 to 4 weeks.
Continuous supplementation increases muscle carnosine levels, which improves endurance and reduces physical fatigue during high-intensity workouts.
Suggested Protocol
- Loading Phase: Take 4–8 grams of beta-alanine per day for 2–4 weeks.
- Maintenance Phase: After the loading phase, 2–4 grams per day is sufficient to maintain elevated carnosine levels.
Sodium Bicarbonate
Unlike beta-alanine, sodium bicarbonate can be taken shortly before an event to experience its benefits. When ingested about 1 to 2 hours before exercise, it can help enhance performance by reducing muscle acidity and increasing time to exhaustion.
Suggested Protocol
- Pre-event dosage: take 0.2–0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight approximately 60–120 minutes before physical activity. It's essential to test bicarb in training, as some individuals may experience gastrointestinal discomfort.
- During exercise: we recommend an intake of 5 g of sodium bicarbonate per hour.
Pro Tips for Beta-Alanine and Sodium Bicarbonate
Let's end with some pro tips on how to use beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate most effectively.
- Load up beta-alanine during training to increase muscle carnosine levels.
- Beta-alanine may cause a tingling or "stinging" sensation in some people when they start taking it. This feeling is completely harmless and soon disappears.
- The beta-alanine intake may be divided into smaller doses to minimize the chance of side effects (tingling sensation).
- Take sodium bicarbonate before the race for an immediate buffering effect.
- When taking sodium bicarbonate, stay hydrated to increase effectiveness and reduce the chance of gastrointestinal discomfort.
- Sodium bicarbonate is a source of sodium! Be mindful of that when taking other sources of electrolytes, which are often rich in sodium.
- Keep track of your performance. This will help you determine the effectiveness of this combination and allow you to adjust dosages and timing as needed.
Conclusion
The synergy between beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate creates a potent combination that significantly enhances endurance performance. This powerful duo works together to improve muscle endurance, reduce fatigue, and increase overall athletic capacity.
As an athlete, incorporating these two supplements into your regimen can help you push through challenging training sessions and optimize your performance during races.
Whether you are striving to achieve a personal best or simply looking to elevate your training experience, the combined effects of beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate can be instrumental in helping you reach your goals and unlock your full potential.
