Sodium bicarbonate improved CrossFit® Benchmark Fran, but not subsequent 500 m rowing performance

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of sodium bicarbonate (SB) supplementation on physical performance, neuromuscular and metabolic responses during CrossFit® exercise. Seventeen Advanced CrossFit®-trained athletes completed the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover protocol consisting of four visits, including two familiarization sessions and two experimental trials separated by a 7-day washout period. Participants supplemented 0.3 g/kg body mass (BM) of SB or placebo 120-min prior to performing the CrossFit® benchmark Fran followed by 500 m of rowing. SB improved time to complete Fran compared to PLA (291.2 ± 71.1 vs. 303.3 ± 77.8 s, p = 0.047), but not 500 m rowing (112.1 s ± 7.9 vs. 113.2 s ± 8.9 s, p = 0.26). No substantial side-effects were reported during the trials. This study showed that SB improved CrossFit® benchmark Fran performance, but not subsequent 500-m rowing. These data suggest that SB might be an interesting supplementation strategy for CrossFit® athletes.

KEYWORDS:

• Supplementation
• high-intensity functional training
• acidosis
• buffering

Acknowledgement

Bryan Saunders obtained the sodium bicarbonate supplements free of charge from Umara® (Sweden) for the current experimental investigation. Bryan Saunders has also received sodium bicarbonate supplements free of charge from Farmácia Analítica (Brazil) for experimental investigations, and the same company provided the placebo supplements for this study free of charge. These companies have not had any input (financial, intellectual, or otherwise) into the current article. The other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2024.2324254

Additional information

Funding

Bryan Saunders (FAPESP; 2016/50438-0 & 2021/06836-0) and Gabriel Barreto (2020/12036-3) acknowledge the receipt of personal research grants from São Paulo Research Foundation.