Sodium Bicarbonate and Boxing
KNES 470
Dr Rubin
4-18-12
Sodium Bicarbonate and Boxing Performance Boxing is a sport which relies on anaerobic power since it contains short-duration and high intensity work. A typical boxing match today consists of 3 minute rounds with a 1 minute seated recovery rest. When an athlete performs exercise at maximal level for more than 30 seconds, most of the energy comes from anaerobic glycolysis. During this process, lactic acid is produced which causes a decrease in pH levels within the muscle cell. This acidity is caused by the accumulation of extracellular hydrogen ions, and has been proposed as the contributor to skeletal muscle fatigue. It has also been linked to decrease in performance. A boxer fighting in the ring would definitely want to avoid these main limiting factors if he wants to beat his opponent and win the fight. This is where sodium bicarbonate comes into play. According to the research article, athletes have practiced sodium bicarbonate loading for over decades. For this reason alone, sodium bicarbonate ingestion is something worth investigating. Obviously, there is a reason why people choose to ingest it. Any athlete who could possibly reduce the negative effects exercise throws at them and make changes which would make them succeed, they will be willing to try it. According to the article, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) may act as a buffering system and may have an ergogenic effect. The purpose of this study was to determine if sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) would provide an enhanced buffering medium during the boxing match and have a positive effect on punch efficacy. This study points out that sodium bicarbonate supplementation during boxing has not been reported in scientific journals. Therefore, the authors felt that it was important to see if there was an ergogenic potential of sodium bicarbonate ingestion. It was hypothesized that sodium bicarbonate loading would buffer the extracellular hydrogen ions produced by glycolysis and
Dr Rubin
4-18-12
Sodium Bicarbonate and Boxing Performance Boxing is a sport which relies on anaerobic power since it contains short-duration and high intensity work. A typical boxing match today consists of 3 minute rounds with a 1 minute seated recovery rest. When an athlete performs exercise at maximal level for more than 30 seconds, most of the energy comes from anaerobic glycolysis. During this process, lactic acid is produced which causes a decrease in pH levels within the muscle cell. This acidity is caused by the accumulation of extracellular hydrogen ions, and has been proposed as the contributor to skeletal muscle fatigue. It has also been linked to decrease in performance. A boxer fighting in the ring would definitely want to avoid these main limiting factors if he wants to beat his opponent and win the fight. This is where sodium bicarbonate comes into play. According to the research article, athletes have practiced sodium bicarbonate loading for over decades. For this reason alone, sodium bicarbonate ingestion is something worth investigating. Obviously, there is a reason why people choose to ingest it. Any athlete who could possibly reduce the negative effects exercise throws at them and make changes which would make them succeed, they will be willing to try it. According to the article, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) may act as a buffering system and may have an ergogenic effect. The purpose of this study was to determine if sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) would provide an enhanced buffering medium during the boxing match and have a positive effect on punch efficacy. This study points out that sodium bicarbonate supplementation during boxing has not been reported in scientific journals. Therefore, the authors felt that it was important to see if there was an ergogenic potential of sodium bicarbonate ingestion. It was hypothesized that sodium bicarbonate loading would buffer the extracellular hydrogen ions produced by glycolysis and