037 - Caffeine Boosts Performance, But Adding Sodium Bicarbonate May Backfire
A 2024 study published in Nutrients examined the acute effects of co-ingesting caffeine (CAF) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) on muscular endurance in trained males and females.
Participants performed bench press and back squat tests at 65% and 85% 1RM under four supplement conditions: CAF alone, NaHCO₃ alone, both combined, and placebo. While caffeine improved performance metrics, such as reps, velocity, and power, co-ingestion with NaHCO₃ blunted these benefits.
Key Findings
Caffeine alone increased repetitions by 7–25%, mean velocity (Vmean) by 3.7–5.4%, and mean power output (Wmean) by 5.2–5.5%, especially in the back squat.
NaHCO₃ alone had no significant impact on performance.
Combining CAF + NaHCO₃ eliminated the performance benefits seen with caffeine alone.
NaHCO₃ increased gastrointestinal discomfort and may delay caffeine absorption, reducing its efficacy.
Tactical Implications
1. Use caffeine alone (~3 mg/kg) for acute enhancement in muscular endurance and power output, particularly for lower-body lifts like the back squat.
2. Avoid co-ingestion of sodium bicarbonate with caffeine before resistance training due to potential neutralizing effects and GI discomfort.
3. Reserve NaHCO₃ for activities where buffering capacity matters most (i.e., repeated sprinting or longer anaerobic events ≥30 seconds).
Montalvo-Alonso JJ, Munilla C, Garriga-Alonso L, et al. Acute Co-Ingestion of Caffeine and Sodium Bicarbonate on Muscular Endurance Performance. Nutrients. 2024;16(24):4382. Published 2024 Dec 19. doi:10.3390/nu16244382