Effects of Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation on Performance and Gastrointestinal Symptoms During a High-Intensity...

Sodium bicarbonate (SB) supplementation can enhance performance in short, high-intensity movements. However, its effectiveness in team sports such as rugby remains insufficiently explored.

In this double-blind, parallel, controlled trial, 17 male professional rugby players ingested SB (0.3 g/kg) or a placebo 90 min before a high-intensity, rugby-specific training session monitored via GPS. The training session was conducted under real-world conditions to enhance ecological validity. Physical performance (countermovement jump, CMJ), fatigue markers (capillary lactate and ratings of perceived exertion, RPE), and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were assessed pre- and post-exercise.

No significant pre-post changes were observed in CMJ performance in either group. Lactate concentrations increased from pre- to post-exercise in both groups (both p < 0.001). The SB group showed higher GI symptom severity before, during and after exercise versus placebo, with several symptoms increasing over time solely in the SB group (p < 0.05). RPE increased similarly in both groups (SB: p = 0.012; PLA: p = 0.008). Due to the small sample size, only moderate-to-large within-group effects and very large between-group differences could be detected; therefore, the study was powered to detect moderate-to-large within-group effects but underpowered for detecting between-group differences.

Acute SB ingestion at 0.3 g/kg did not result in detectable improvements in performance or fatigue markers during rugby-specific high-intensity training and was associated with a greater incidence of GI discomfort; however, the study was underpowered to detect small between-group differences. This study was registered on 23 May 2025 on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07017582).