Top

European Journal of Applied Physiology

Published in:

01-04-2015 | Original Article

Impact of acute sodium citrate ingestion on endurance running performance in a warm environment

Authors: Ivi Vaher, Saima Timpmann, Martin Aedma, Vahur Ööpik

Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 4/2015

Abstract

Purpose

Dietary supplements inducing alkalosis have been shown to be ergogenic during intense endurance exercise in temperate environments, but there is lack of data regarding the efficacy of these substances in the heat. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sodium citrate (CIT) ingestion on 5,000-m running performance in a warm environment.

Methods

Sixteen non-heat-acclimated endurance-trained males (age 25.8 ± 4.4 years, VO₂peak 56.9 ± 4.7 mL kg min) completed two 5,000-m self-paced treadmill runs with preceding CIT or placebo (wheat flour; PLC) ingestion in a double-blind, randomized, crossover manner in a climatic chamber (air temperature 32 °C, relative humidity 50 %).

Results

CIT ingestion (500 mg kg⁻¹ body mass) compared to PLC induced increases in water retention, body mass and plasma volume (P < 0.05). Pre- and post-exercise blood HCO₃ ⁻ concentration, base excess and pH were higher (P < 0.001) in CIT compared to PLC trial. Rectal temperature, body heat storage, heat storage rate, heart rate and 5,000-m running time (18.92 ± 2.05 min in CIT, 19.11 ± 2.38 min in PLC; 66 % likelihood of benefit, d = –0.09) were similar (P > 0.05) in the two trials. Post-exercise blood lactate concentration was higher (P < 0.001) in CIT (11.05 ± 3.22 mmol L⁻¹) compared to PLC trial (8.22 ± 2.64 mmol L⁻¹). Ratings of perceived exertion, fatigue and thermal sensation did not differ in the two trials (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Acute CIT ingestion induces alkalosis, water retention, plasma volume expansion and an increase in post-exercise blood lactate concentration, but does not improve 5,000-m running performance in a warm environment in non-heat-acclimated endurance-trained males.

Adams WC, Mack GW, Langhans GW, Nadel ER (1992) Effects of varied air velocity on sweating and evaporative rates during exercise. J Appl Physiol 73:2668–2674PubMed

Allen DG, Lambv GD, Westerblad H (2008) Skeletal muscle fatigue: cellular mechanisms. Physiol Rev 88:287–332CrossRefPubMed

Bishop D, Edge J, Davis C, Goodman C (2004) Induced metabolic alkalosis affects muscle metabolism and repeated-sprint ability. Med Sci Sports Exerc 36:807–813CrossRefPubMed

Borg GAV (1982) Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Med Sci Sports Exerc 14:377–381PubMed

Broch-Lips M, Overgaard K, Praetorius HA, Baekgaard Nielsen O (2007) Effects of extracellular HCO₃ ⁻ on fatigue, pH_i, and K⁺ efflux in rat skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol 103:494–503CrossRefPubMed

BSI (2001) BS EN ISO 10551. Ergonomics of the thermal environmental-assessment of the influence of the thermal environment using subjective judgement scales. British Standards Institution, London

Burke LM, Pyne DB (2007) Bicarbonate loading to enhance training and competitive performance. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2:93–97PubMed

Burke L, Cort M, Cox G, Crawford R, Desbrow B, Farthing L, Minehan M, Shaw N, Warnes O (2006) Supplements and sports foods. In: Burke L, Deakin V (eds) Clinical sports nutrition, 3rd edn. McGraw-Hill, Sydney, pp 485–579

Cairns SP (2006) Lactic acid and exercise performance: culprit or friend? Sports Med 36:279–291CrossRefPubMed

Carr AJ, Hopkins WG, Gore CJ (2011) Effects of acute alkalosis and acidosis on performance. A meta-analyses. Sports Med 41:801–814CrossRefPubMed

Cheuvront SN, Kenefick RW, Montain SJ, Sawka MN (2010) Mechanisms of aerobic performance impairment with heat stress and dehydration. J Appl Physiol 109:1989–1995CrossRefPubMed

Cohen JA (1992) A power primer. Psychol Bull 112:155–159CrossRefPubMed

Dill DB, Costill DL (1974) Calculation of percentage changes in volumes of blood, plasma, and red cells in dehydration. J Appl Physiol 37:247–248PubMed

DuBois D, DuBois EF (1916) The measurement of surface area of man. Arch Intern Med 15:868–881

Febbraio MA (2001) Alterations in energy metabolism during exercise and heat stress. Sports Med 31:47–59CrossRefPubMed

Febbraio MA, Snow RJ, Hargreaves M, Stathis CG, Martin IK, Carey MF (1994) Muscle metabolism during exercise and heat stress in trained men: effect of acclimation. J Appl Physiol 76:589–597PubMed

Fitts RH (2004) Mechanisms of muscular fatigue. In: Poortmans JR (ed) Principles of exercise biochemistry, 3rd edn. Karger, Basel, pp 279–300

Gigou P-Y, Dion T, Asselin A, Berrigan F, Goulet EDB (2012) Pre-exercise hyperhydration-induced bodyweight gain does not alter prolonged treadmill running time-trial performance in warm ambient conditions. Nutrients 4:949–966CrossRefPubMedCentralPubMed

Gladden LB (2004) Lactate metabolism: a new paradigm for the third millennium. J Physiol 558:5–30CrossRefPubMedCentralPubMed

Greenleaf JE, Looft-Wilson R, Wisherd JL, McKenzie MA, Jensen CD, Whittam JH (1997) Pre-exercise hypervolemia and cycle ergometer endurance in men. Biol Sport 14:103–114PubMed

Hobson RM, Saunders B, Ball G, Harris RC, Sale C (2012) Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis. Amino Acids 43:25–37CrossRefPubMedCentralPubMed

Hollidge-Horvat MG, Parolin ML, Wong D, Jones NL, Heigenhauser GJF (2000) Effect of induced metabolic alkalosis on human skeletal muscle metabolism during exercise. Am J Physiol 278:E316–E329

Hopkins WG (2005) Competitive performance of elite track-and-field athletes: variability and smallest worthwhile enhancements. Sportscience 9:17–20

Hopkins WG (2007) A spreadsheet for deriving a confidence interval, mechanistic inference and clinical inference from a P value. Sportscience 11:16–20

Ibanez J, Pullinen T, Gorostiaga E, Postigo A, Mero A (1995) Blood lactate and ammonia in short-term anaerobic work following induced alkalosis. J Sports Med Phys Fit 35:187–193

Linderman JK, Gosselink KL (1994) The effects of sodium bicarbonate ingestion on exercise performance. Sports Med 18:75–80CrossRefPubMed

Lindinger MI, Franklin TW, Lands LC, Pedersen PK, Welsh DG, Heigenhauser GJ (2000) NaHCO₃ and KHCO₃ ingestion rapidly increases renal electrolyte excretion in humans. J Appl Physiol 88:540–550PubMed

McAnulty SR, McAnulty L, Pascoe DD, Gropper SS, Keith RE, Morrow JD, Gladden LB (2005) Hyperthermia increases exercise-induced oxidative stress. Int J Sports Med 26:188–192CrossRefPubMed

McNaughton LR (1990) Sodium citrate and anaerobic performance: implications of dosage. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 61:392–397CrossRefPubMed

McNaughton L, Dalton B, Palmer G (1999) Sodium bicarbonate can be used as an ergogenic aid in high-intensity, competitive cycle ergometry of 1 h duration. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 80:64–69CrossRefPubMed

O’Rourke MP, O’Brien BJ, Knez WL, Paton CD (2008) Caffeine has a small effect on 5-km running performance of well-trained and recreational runners. J Sci Med Sport 11:231–233CrossRefPubMed

Ööpik V, Saaremets I, Medijainen L, Karelson K, Janson T, Timpmann S (2003) Effects of sodium citrate ingestion before exercise on endurance performance in well trained college runners. Br J Sports Med 37:485–489CrossRefPubMedCentralPubMed

Ööpik V, Saaremets I, Timpmann S, Medijainen L, Karelson K (2004) Effects of acute ingestion of sodium citrate on metabolism and 5-km running performance: a field study. Can J Appl Physiol 29:691–703CrossRefPubMed

Ööpik V, Timpmann S, Kadak K, Medijainen L, Karelson K (2008) The effects of sodium citrate ingestion on metabolism and 1,500-m racing time in trained female runners. J Sports Sci Med 7:125–131PubMedCentralPubMed

Ööpik V, Timpmann S, Hackney AC, Kadak K, Medijainen L, Karelson K (2010) Ingestion of sodium citrate suppresses aldosterone level in blood at rest and during exercise. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 35:278–285CrossRefPubMed

Osnes J-B, Hermansen L (1972) Acid-base balance after maximal exercise of short duration. J Appl Physiol 32:59–63PubMed

Potteiger JA, Nickel GL, Webster MJ, Haub MD, Palmer RJ (1996) Sodium citrate ingestion enhances 30 km cycling performance. Int J Sports Med 17:7–11CrossRefPubMed

Quesnele JJ, Laframboise MA, Wong JJ, Kim P, Wells GD (2014) The effects of beta alanine supplementation on performance: a systematic review of the literature. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab (in press)

Ramanathan NL (1964) A new weighting system for mean surface temperature of the human body. J Appl Physiol 19:531–533PubMed

Requena B, Zabala M, Padial P, Feriche B (2005) Sodium bicarbonate and sodium citrate: ergogenic aids. J Strength Cond Res 19:213–224PubMed

Robergs RA, Ghiasvand F, Parker D (2004) Biochemistry of exercise-induced metabolic acidosis. Am J Physiol 287:R502–R516

Robertson RJ, Falkel JE, Drash AL, Swank AM, Metz KF, Spungen SA, LeBoeuf JR (1987) Effect of induced alkalosis on physical work capacity during arm and leg exercise. Ergonomics 30:19–31CrossRefPubMed

Sawka MN, Cheuvront SN, Kenefick RW (2012) High skin temperature and hypohydration impair aerobic performance. Exp Physiol 97:327–332CrossRefPubMed

Schubert MM, Astorino TA (2013) A systematic review of the efficacy of ergogenic aids for improving running performance. J Strength Cond Res 27:1699–1707CrossRefPubMed

Sejersted OM, Sjøgaard G (2000) Dynamics and consequences of potassium shifts in skeletal muscle and heart during exercise. Physiol Rev 80:1411–1481PubMed

Shave R, Whyte G, Siemann A, Doggart L (2001) The effects of sodium citrate ingestion on 3,000-meter time-trial performance. J Strength Cond Res 15:230–234PubMed

Sims ST, Rehrer NJ, Bell ML, Cotter JD (2007a) Preexercise sodium loading aids fluid balance and endurance for women exercising in the heat. J Appl Physiol 103:534–541CrossRefPubMed

Sims ST, van Vliet L, Cotter JD, Rehrer NJ (2007b) Sodium loading aids fluid balance and reduces physiological strain of trained men exercising in the heat. Med Sci Sports Exerc 39:123–130CrossRefPubMed

Sostaric SM, Skinner SL, Brown MJ, Sangkabutra T, Medved I, Medley T, Selig SE, Fairweather I, Rutar D, McKenna MJ (2006) Alkalosis increases muscle K⁺ release, but lowers plasma [K⁺] and delays fatigue during dynamic forearm exercise. J Physiol 570:185–205CrossRefPubMedCentralPubMed

Street D, Nielsen JJ, Bangsbo J, Juel C (2005) Metabolic alkalosis reduces exercise-induced acidosis and potassium accumulation in human skeletal muscle interstitium. J Physiol 566:481–489CrossRefPubMedCentralPubMed

Timpmann S, Burk A, Medijainen L, Tamm M, Kreegipuu K, Vähi M, Unt E, Ööpik V (2012) Dietary sodium citrate supplementation enhances rehydration and recovery from rapid body mass loss in trained wrestlers. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 37:1028–1037CrossRefPubMed

Whitehead MT, Martin TD, Scheett TP, Webster MJ (2012) Running economy and maximal oxygen consumption after 4 weeks of oral Echinacea supplementation. J Strength Cond Res 26:1928–1933CrossRefPubMed

Title: Impact of acute sodium citrate ingestion on endurance running performance in a warm environment
Authors: Ivi Vaher
Saima Timpmann
Martin Aedma
Vahur Ööpik
Publication date: 01-04-2015
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology / Issue 4/2015
Print ISSN: 1439-6319
Electronic ISSN: 1439-6327
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3068-6

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Impact of acute sodium citrate ingestion on endurance running performance in a warm environment

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 4/2015

Blood viscosity but not shear stress associates with delayed flow-mediated dilation

Autonomic modulations of heart rate variability and performances in short-distance elite swimmers

Is lung diffusing capacity lower in expiratory flow limited women compared to non-flow limited women during exercise?

Pivoting neuromuscular control and proprioception in females and males

Intramuscular determinants of the ability to recover work capacity above critical power

Mental fatigue does not affect maximal anaerobic exercise performance