Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation in Combat Sports Athletes

The Effect of Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation on Physical and Specific Performance Capacity in Combat Sports Athletes

The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of 10-day sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and placebo (PLA) supplementation on physical and specific performance capacity, as well as concentrations of the selected biochemical blood markers in trained combat sports athletes, in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Supplementation; Sport
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Sodium bicarbonate supplementation; Dietary supplement: Placebo treatment

Detailed Description

Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) was proposed as an ergogenic agent, because it improves high-intensity and resistance exercise performance. Until now the major limitation to NaHCO3 supplementation has been the gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of chronic, progressive-dose NaHCO3 ingestion on physical capacity and specific performance capacity, and concentrations of the selected biochemical blood markers in trained combat sports athletes, in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 64
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Poland
  • Wielkopolska
    • Poznań, Wielkopolska, Poland, 60-624
      • Poznan University of Life Sciences, ul.Wojska Polskiego 31

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 17 years to 30 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• written informed consent from all participants before the study (included aslo informed consents to the participation in the study of athletes under the age of 18 obtained from their parents)
• a current medical clearance to practice sports,
• training experience: at least 4 years (of combat sport training),
• minimum of 4 workout sessions (combat sport) a week,

Exclusion Criteria:

• current injury,
• any health-related contraindication,
• declared general feeling of being unwell,
• unwilling to follow the study protocol.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Sodium bicarbonate supplementation; Group taking oral NaHCO3 supplementation in a progressive-dose regimen.	Dietary supplement: Sodium bicarbonate supplementation; The experimental procedure for each athlete included a 10-day NaHCO3 supplementation in a progressive-dose regimen in order to reduce the likelihood of gastrointestinal side effects (from 25 to 100 mg ∙ kg-1). NaHCO3 was administered in the form of unmarked disk-shaped tablets (Alkala T, SANUM, Poland). The tablets were ingested with at least 250 mL of water and could be either swallowed or dissolved in the mouth. On training days the supplements were taken in the morning, in the evening and 1.5 hours before training session. On rest days the supplements were taken in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo treatment; Group taking oral supplementation with placebo (maltodextrin with NaCl) in a similar tablet form prepared by the same producer as NaHCO3 tablets.	Dietary supplement: Placebo treatment; The experimental procedure for each athlete included a 10-day placebo administration. Placebo was ingested with at least 250 mL of water. On training days the supplements were taken in the morning, in the evening and 1.5 hours before training session. On rest days the supplements were taken in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in anaerobic capacity after sodium bicarbonate supplementation	The Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT)	Baseline and after 10 days
Changes in specific performance capacity after sodium bicarbonate supplementation	The wrestler's special endurance test - projective test with dummy (DT)	Baseline and after 10 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes of red and white blood cell concentration in blood after sodium bicarbonate supplementation	Red blood cells (RBC) [mln/mm³] and white blood cells (WBC) [mln/mm³] concentration analysis	Baseline and after 10 days
Changes in blood glucose and hemoglobin concentration after sodium bicarbonate supplementation	Hemoglobin (Hb) [g/dl] and glucose [g/dl] concentration analysis	Baseline and after 10 days
Changes in blood hematocrit levels after sodium bicarbonate supplementation	Hematocrit (HCT) [%] level analysis	Baseline and after 10 days
Changes of lactate and pyruvate concentration in blood after sodium bicarbonate supplementation	Lactate [mmol/L] and pyruvate [mmol/L] concentration analysis	Baseline and after 10 days
Changes of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activity in blood after sodium bicarbonate supplementation	Creatine kinase [U/L] and lactate dehydrogenase [U/L] activity analysis	Baseline and after 10 days
Changes in polyphenols and albumin concentration	Polyphenols [g/L] and and albumin [g/L] concentration analysis	Baseline and after 10 days
Changes in FRAP concentration	FRAP [µmol/L] concentration analysis	Baseline and after 10 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Poznan University of Life Sciences
• Collaborators: Poznan University of PhysED
• Investigators: Study Chair: Jan Jeszka, Professor, Poznan University of Life Sciences, ul. Wojska Polskiego 31, Poznań, Wielkopolska, Poland, 60-624

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 10, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 20, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): April 5, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 14, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 14, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): January 23, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 23, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 14, 2018
• Last Verified: January 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Physical capacity; Sodium bicarbonate; NaHCO3; Combat Sports; Dummy test
• Other Study ID Numbers: ULS00003

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Shared data will be exclusively related to the level recorded indicators (anaerobic capacity and specific performance capacity indicators, levels of biochemical markers, body composition), without personal data. The data obtained will be attached to scientific publications, depending on the requirements of the journal.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No