Would
you eat a spoonful of baking soda for a pre-race meal?
Taking sodium bicarbonate–commonly known as baking
soda–ahead of competition has become a popular hack
for enhancing performance. The supplement helps clear
muscle acidity that builds up during high-intensity exercise,
delaying fatigue and that “burning” sensation
and allowing an athlete to sustain an intense effort for
longer. This leaves some runners wondering: shouldn’t
this performance-enhancing supplement be banned?
Maurten’s
safe system
Over the past year, Swedish sports fuel company Maurten’s
Bicarb System has taken off in popularity; it was reportedly
the most popular supplement at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Bicarb System provides the performance benefits of
baking soda without the stress on the stomach; taking
straight baking soda can result in include nausea, vomiting,
abdominal pain and the sudden and urgent need for a bowel
movement. Now, with minimal risk of undesired results,
elite athletes aren’t hesitating to take advantage
of this performance enhancer.
Should
it be banned?
Users online are attributing recent progress in elite
running performances to baking soda. “It is turning
pedestrian 800m runners into world-[record] beaters,”
one person wrote. “The sub-elites that I know that
use it say it basically eliminates what holds them back,
[and] they just reach their full mechanical potential.
Unbelievable [that] this is allowed.” Caffeine and
beet juice are both proven to boost performance, but aren’t
banned–in fact, they are recommended. Baking soda
is no different–it’s just finally safe to
consume. Users flooded the comments with humorous and
sarcastic responses. “It also won’t be banned
because how would it be tested?” one comment read.
“It’s in food. Would there be a two muffin
per day limit?” “I believe they are banning
carbo loading soon too,” the comments continued.
“The solution is clear,” one user wrote. “Anti-doping
agencies must raid bakeries immediately [and] should test
for pre-race biscuit consumption. WADA must consider banning
all athletes who have ever eaten a muffin. It’s
time to clean up our sport. Ban pretzels. Save the future
of running!”
Performance-enhancing–but
at what cost?
Straight baking soda is very affordable–you’ll
only need two to three teaspoons per dose, which costs
about $0.08. It has the potential to improve your race
performance by one to three per cent–that is, if
you time everything right and your stomach agrees. Most
sources recommend taking it 60 to 180 minutes ahead of
competition. But mistiming your intake could set you up
for failure on race day. The Bicarb system can boost your
run without the risk of ruining your race day goals, but
it will make quite a dent in your bank account. The Maurten
product costs C$95 for four servings–equal to about
C$24 per race.
If you want to give one of the two methods
a shot, play it safe and try it during a workout instead,
to avoid derailing your race. No need to rush with your
trial run–this performance-enhancer won’t
be banned any sooner than your morning coffee or mid-race
gels.
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