AUTHOR=Gough Lewis A. , Rimmer Steven , Sparks S. Andy , McNaughton Lars R. , Higgins Matthew F. 

TITLE=Post-exercise Supplementation of Sodium Bicarbonate Improves Acid Base Balance Recovery and Subsequent High-Intensity Boxing Specific Performance

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2019.00155

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2019.00155

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<p>The aim of this study was to assess the effects of post-exercise sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO<sub>3</sub>) ingestion (0.3 g.kg<sup>−1</sup> body mass) on the recovery of acid-base balance (pH, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mtext>HCO</mml:mtext></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>3</mml:mn></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>-</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math></inline-formula>, and the SID) and subsequent exercise performance in elite boxers. Seven elite male professional boxers performed an initial bout of exhaustive exercise comprising of a boxing specific high-intensity interval running (HIIR) protocol, followed by a high-intensity run to volitional exhaustion (T<sub>LIM1</sub>). A 75 min passive recovery then ensued, whereby after 10 min recovery, participants ingested either 0.3 g.kg<sup>−1</sup> body mass NaHCO<sub>3</sub>, or 0.1 g.kg<sup>−1</sup> body mass sodium chloride (PLA). Solutions were taste matched and administered double-blind. Participants then completed a boxing specific punch combination protocol, followed by a second high-intensity run to volitional exhaustion (T<sub>LIM2</sub>). Both initial bouts of T<sub>LIM1</sub> were well matched between PLA and NaHCO<sub>3</sub> (ICC; <italic>r</italic> = 0.94, <italic>p</italic> = 0.002). The change in performance from T<sub>LIM1</sub> to T<sub>LIM2</sub> was greater following NaHCO<sub>3</sub> compared to PLA (+164 ± 90 vs. +73 ± 78 sec; <italic>p</italic> = 0.02, CI = 45.1, 428.8, <italic>g</italic> = 1.0). Following ingestion of NaHCO<sub>3</sub>, pH was greater prior to T<sub>LIM2</sub> by 0.11 ± 0.02 units (1.4%) (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001, CI = 0.09, 0.13, <italic>g</italic> = 3.4), whilst <inline-formula><mml:math id="M2" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mtext>HCO</mml:mtext></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>3</mml:mn></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>-</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math></inline-formula> was greater by 8.8 ± 1.5 mmol.l<sup>−1</sup> (26.3%) compared to PLA (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001, CI = 7.3, 10.2, <italic>g</italic> = 5.1). The current study suggests that these significant increases in acid base balance during post-exercise recovery facilitated the improvement in the subsequent bout of exercise. Future research should continue to explore the role of NaHCO<sub>3</sub> supplementation as a recovery aid in boxing and other combat sports.</p>