Baking soda might be the answer to all – or at least some – of your exercise woes, according to experts.
Sports nutritionists at Bulk.com say that a little of the cupboard staple could go a long way for your HIIT (high intensity interval training), boosting your performance and help reduce fatigue.
Sounds ideal for reaching that personal best...
What’s the difference between baking powder and baking soda?
It’s easy to get these two muddled up.
Both are rising agents commonly used in baking with very similar packaging, but they really are different and are not interchangeable.
So, before you go cooking up a storm to help boost your next workout, you need to know what’s what.
Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate. US outlet Medical News Today defines it as an alkaline salt compound that creates CO2 but only when mixed with an acid – that makes cakes rise. Baking soda on its own, without that acidic ingredient, won’t make your sponge Great British Bake Off worthy.
Baking powder is when sodium bicarbonate already has an acid added to it, such as cream of tartar or cornstarch – it just need moisture and heat to make the CO2 gas.
Why is baking soda good for your workout?
In an email to HuffPost UK, a spokesperson from the sports nutrition brand, Bulk.com, said: “Sodium bicarbonate acts as a similar stimulant to creatine.”
Creatine is a chemical found in the body, mostly in skeletal muscle, which can also be taken as a supplement to improve your performance during exercise and muscle mass.
According to the experts, sodium bicarbonate reduces hydrogen ions produced from anaerobic metabolism – so that means you can work out at a high intensity for longer.
The US outlet Healthline also pointed out that it’s especially beneficial during “single and repeated bouts of high intensity exercise that last between one and seven minutes.”
“Baking soda is also good for helping reduce recovery time from that exercise. This is because it decreases the acidity in your working muscles to help you exercise longer,” Bulk.com’s specialists said.
Obviously, as baking powder has acid in it, it would therefore be a less ideal workout companion.
Baking soda on the other hand is perfect for increasing your strength, coordination, during weightlifting, running, swimming and cycling.
(Although, the experts were keen to stress that you also must stretch before and after exercise to reduce that stiff feeling the following day – so just because you had some cake doesn’t mean you can skip on the warm-up...)
How much baking soda do you need?
The most effective dose is 0.3g per kg taken 60 to 180 minutes before exercise, according to Bulk.
However, the exact amount varies according to the individuals, depending on their sex, tolerance of baking soda, and training level as well as the activity level.
Healthline also warned that taking a baking soda supplement very close to your exercise time can cause stomach problems for some people.
That’s because when sodium bicarbonate reaches your stomach acid it will produce gas, and that might trigger cramps, bloating, nausea, diarrhoea or vomiting.
If this happens, it’s worth taking smaller doses (0.1 to 0.2g per kg) throughout the day, or by focusing on carbohydrate-rich meals, instead.
Pre-workout cookie, anyone?