Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of post-exercise sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) ingestion (0.3 g.kg−1 body mass) on the recovery of acid-base balance (pH, , 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 (TLIM1). A 75 min passive recovery then ensued, whereby after 10 min recovery, participants ingested either 0.3 g.kg−1 body mass NaHCO3, or 0.1 g.kg−1 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 (TLIM2). Both initial bouts of TLIM1 were well matched between PLA and NaHCO3 (ICC; r = 0.94, p = 0.002). The change in performance from TLIM1 to TLIM2 was greater following NaHCO3 compared to PLA (+164 ± 90 vs. +73 ± 78 sec; p = 0.02, CI = 45.1, 428.8, g = 1.0). Following ingestion of NaHCO3, pH was greater prior to TLIM2 by 0.11 ± 0.02 units (1.4%) (p < 0.001, CI = 0.09, 0.13, g = 3.4), whilst was greater by 8.8 ± 1.5 mmol.l−1 (26.3%) compared to PLA (p < 0.001, CI = 7.3, 10.2, g = 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 NaHCO3 supplementation as a recovery aid in boxing and other combat sports.
Highlights
High levels of glycolytic flux are essential to maintain the required physiological output during combat exercise [1], a concomitant fall in both muscle and blood pH and bicarbonate ion concentration [HCO−3 ] eventually occurs [2]
Sodium Bicarbonate and Boxing Performance and alkalinity of body fluids. Such an alteration is known as metabolic acidosis and has been associated with fatigue by reducing or impairing the release of calcium ions (Ca2+) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum [3], impeding glycolytic enzyme activity [4], and altering the strong ion difference leading to reduced action potentials and muscle excitability [5]
Data were analyzed using a statistical software package, SPSS (V.24, IBM Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Both initial bouts for TLIM1 were well-matched between PLA and NaHCO3 (328 ± 155 vs. 307 ± 142 s; intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC): r = 0.94, p = 0.002; t-test, p = 0.526), showing that participants were at a similar level of fatigue at the start of the recovery period
Summary
High levels of glycolytic flux are essential to maintain the required physiological output during combat exercise [1], a concomitant fall in both muscle and blood pH and bicarbonate ion concentration [HCO−3 ] eventually occurs [2]. This is due to the increases in hydrogen ion (H+) accumulation, which in turn, disturb the state of equilibrium between acidity.
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