Sodium Bicarbonate for Cyclists Deep Dive with Dr. Andy Sparks - Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast 482

Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast
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Dr. Andy Sparks reached out to me after hearing us discuss a 2024 study he was involved in, saying he would love to provide more insight and information on bicarb. Dr. Sparks did a fantastic job of relaying complex info in a really clear manner, and I’m very appreciative of him coming on the podcast.

There are so many yet-to-be-answered questions around bicarb, and I think it will be a significant area of focus for nutrition companies over the next five years. Super exciting :slight_smile:

// TOPICS COVERED
(0:00) Welcome, and Dr. Sparks’ background
(01:47) Dr. Sparks explaines the latest bicarb research
(10:24) How you are misunderstanding / misusing sodium bicarbonate
(15:15) Explained: How sodium bicarbonate makes you faster
(20:45) Ideal timing for sodium bicarbonate intake
(21:38) Best type of training and racing for sodium bicarbonate intake
(31:29) Are pros taking bicarb *during training and racing?!
(33:51) How to practically ingest bicarb during a race
(39:27) Co-ingestion (caffeine, creatine, etc.)
(42:37) Can sodium bicarbonate make you a slower cyclist?
(49:21) Does sodium bicarbonate raise or lower lactate levels?

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

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Just listened to this and found it very interesting.
One aspect of this that I have never heard clearly addressed is regarding the neutralization of the bicarbonate in the stomach, and how this relates the the amount of bicarbonate that can reach the bloodstream. This was mentioned in this discussion, but mainly from the perspective of avoiding GI distress.

Stomach acid appears to be HCl, so this is what I think happens in the stomach to produce the C02:
HCl ( aq ) + Na 2 CO 3 ( aq ) → NaCl ( aq ) + CO 2 ( g ) + H 2 O ( l )

So any bicarbonate that reacts with stomach acid is consumed, and no longer available for buffering.
It seems to me then that the only bicarbonate that is available for buffering in the blood would be bicarbonate that makes it to the small intestine. If there is a wide variation between the amount/concentration of stomach acid among individuals this could add quite some variance.

A related question is this: Does the neutralization of stomach acid itself have any affect on blood PH?

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I bookmarked this forum thread by @Brennus

Dosing instructions in that post, and a few posts down his long-term review.

Still haven’t tried it.

Will give this podcast a listen, and finally give it a try this fall on a harder above threshold workout.

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And incoming email just now from Nduranz (company Tim Podlogar is associated with):

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I’ve only ever been able to get serial loading to work for me.

If I intake over 4g in one go it ends… badly.

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I just do 20g (I’m 68kg) about 1h15 before, with 500ml water, 350ml coffee, and a big bowl of Rice Krispies and almond milk.

For me, the side effects occur after ~55-60min, and are manageable in that they’re consistent.

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It could be partly placebo but I think the amp pr lotion totally makes a noticeable difference. Jonathon must also because he’s posted stories to his Instagram of him applying it before a race