Effects of short-term sodium bicarbonate supplementation with acute caffeine ingestion on simulated 3-km cycle performance /by Brian Steven Ferguson.

The effects of supplementing sodium bicarbonate (SB) in four equal doses totaling (0.3 g/kg BW), acute ingestion of caffeine (CAFF) (6 mg/kg BW) and their combination (SB+CAFF), were examined during a simulated 3-km cycling time trial. Trained males (n=16, 38.25+5.25 yrs, 70.74+2.54 inch, 185.06+16.77 lbs, 60.39+5.97 ml/kg/min), completed four treatment possibilities in randomized double-blind, placebo (PL)-controlled cross-over trials. Day 1, subjects supplemented a total of (0.3 g/kg BW) SB or PL in four equal doses; the final dose taken 2-hours pretrial. Day 2, subjects ingested (6 mg/kg BW) of CAFF or PL, 1- hour pretrial. Subjects performed a standardized 15 minute warm-up then completed the simulated 3-km trial as fast as possible. BL samples were taken upon arrival, immediately pretest, posttest then at 3 and 10 minutes post-exercise. No significant treatment effect was observed for trial time (p>.05). Trial time was fastest with SB+CAFF (300.25+33.14s), followed by CAFF (306.00+31.98s), SB (311.19+32.47s) and then PL (316.00+32.02s). Three minutes post-exercise, [BL] for SB+CAFF (13.45+ 1.91mmol/L) was significantly higher (p<.05) than with PL (11.54+2.00mmol/L). Ten minutes post-exercise [BL] were significantly higher (p<.05) for the SB+CAFF (11.48+2.88mmol/L) when compared to CAFF (7.97+ 2.06mmol/L), SB (8.64+2.17mmol/L) or PL (7.48+2.08mmol/L). Combined supplementation of SB with CAFF appears to be ergogenic with trained male cyclists in a single 3-km TT and elicited significantly higher post-exercise [BL]