Siegler, J. C., McNaughton, L. R., Hillman, A., & Keatley, S. (2009). Influence of sodium bicarbonate and an active or passive recovery on repeated Wingate performance. ACSM 56th Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington. Presentation number 1128.

"Pre-exercise alkalosis and an active recovery mode improve the physiological state of recovery through slightly different mechanisms (i.e. directly increasing extracellular bicarbonate [HCO3-] versus increasing blood flow), and combining the two conditions may provide an even greater influence on recovery from high-intensity exercise."

This study compared blood acid-base recovery after repeated Wingate Test performances on a non-motorized treadmill under the influence of pre-exercise alkalosis and varying recovery modes (active walking at 4 km/hr or passive standing). Volunteers (N = 9) completed four trials, each consisting of three 30-second Wingate Tests (Bout 1, Bout 2, and Bout 3) on a non-motorized treadmill. The four conditions were sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) ingestion with passive recovery, NaHCO3 ingestion with active recovery, placebo ingestion with passive recovery, and placebo ingestion with active recovery. Each effort was separated by three minutes. Blood acid-base profiles were assessed after each bout, while performance data (distance covered, average velocity, and total work) were determined post hoc.

There was a significant main effect for time across the bouts for pH and HCO3- (they decreased with each successive bout) and Base Excess (it increased with each successive bout). Distance covered, average velocity, and total work decreased with each successive bout. No differences existed between the bicarbonate and placebo or active and passive recovery conditions. There were no significant condition x time interactions.

Implication. Neither NaHCO3 nor recovery mode influenced the performance decline during multiple repeated Wingate Tests on a non-motorized treadmill.

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