Can Baking Soda Be Used as Pre-workout? All You Need to Know

Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, is a water-soluble substance with versatile properties, including its ability to turn alkaline in water and its traditional use in neutralizing stomach acid for alleviating heartburn [1].

Baking soda has various household uses: a fridge odor neutralizer, a teeth whitener, and everything in between.

The National Library of Medicine mentions that in cooking, baking soda has leavening properties because it interacts with acids like vinegar or lemon juice and causes the dough to rise by producing carbon dioxide [2].

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, sodium bicarbonate supplementation enhances athletic performance in muscular endurance activities like boxing, judo, karate, taekwondo, and wrestling, and high-intensity exercise like cycling, and running, swimming, and rowing [9].

One study of Crossfit participants shows those who supplemented with baking soda experienced increased reps, ventilatory threshold, and overall workload.

Also, “fight gone bad” performance, a type of interval training specific to Crossfit, improved 3.1% over the placebo group [10].

The ventilatory threshold is worth noting as it is a marker of intensity that shows in a person’s breathing when lactate begins to accumulate in the blood [11].

There are three levels, VT1, VT2, and VO2max, and you can think of them this way:

• VT1 - Exercise increases so does breathing.
• VT2 - Exercise hits high intensity; you are out of breath.
• VO2max - You are exhausted.

Further research supports that taking baking soda before high-intensity exercise reduces muscle fatigue, such as this study that shows cyclists had a greater time to exhaustion, 4.5 minutes longer than the placebo group [12].

Research is mixed when it comes to studying baking soda prior to exercise to gain muscle strength.

A study of bodybuilders shows that the participants consuming baking soda were able to perform more squats in their first three sets, while there was no benefit to the bench press repetitions [13].

A meta-analysis showed no significant improvements in muscle strength after sodium bicarbonate supplementation [14].

Researchers define muscular strength as the amount lifted or amount of force a muscle can produce [15].

Given this information, it may be safe to assume that sodium bicarbonate may significantly affect muscle endurance rather than strength.

“Be sure your product is fully dissolved in the water prior to ingestion. Drink slowly over a period of 20 to 30 minutes. This may not be the most palatable concoction you’ve ever ingested.”

-Molly Breslin, Heath & Wellness Coach

Sodium bicarbonate ingestion in the recommended dose (0.3 gram per kilogram of body weight) generally seems safe for most healthy individuals with no underlying medical conditions.

Research seems to support taking baking soda on a short-term basis only, and that long-term use is not advisable [16].

When consumed, baking soda hits the stomach acid and produces gas which can cause bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting for some.

Taking sodium bicarbonate can also raise your blood sodium levels, which may cause high blood pressure for some people [17].

Sodium bicarbonate can affect how the human body absorbs certain medications, so it is always advisable to consult a healthcare professional before consuming it.

There are some definite don'ts when it comes to sodium carbonate consumption [18]:

• Do not take more than 3 1/2 tsp. of baking soda.
• Do not use it if you are diagnosed with GERD.
• Do not take the maximum daily dosage for longer than two weeks.
• Do not take it when your stomach is overly full; this can lead to gastric rupture.
• Do not drink the baking soda solution too quickly; this can cause gas and diarrhea.
• Do not consume if you are following a low-sodium diet.

Side effects of baking soda consumption seem to be dose-dependent and vary from person to person. A higher dose will generally make for worse side effects, while some people are not affected at all.