Baking soda is becoming an unlikely performance aid among elite athletes, with runners and other competitors using sodium bicarbonate in an attempt to delay fatigue and maintain intensity during exercise.

Kenyan marathon runner Sebastian Sawe used a bicarbonate-based product during his record-breaking London Marathon performance in April, while other elite athletes, including Eliud Kipchoge and Olympic 800-metre champion Keely Hodgkinson, have also used bicarbonate products.

But does taking baking soda actually make you run faster?

How Does Baking Soda Work During Exercise?

Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, is an alkaline substance that can help buffer rising acidity in the blood during intense exercise.

When muscles work at high intensity, the body produces hydrogen ions that contribute to a fall in blood pH. This process is associated with the burning sensation and fatigue that can occur during hard exercise.

By increasing the body's buffering capacity, sodium bicarbonate may help maintain a more favourable environment for muscle contraction. Research dating back to the 1930s has investigated its potential as an exercise aid, particularly during short periods of intense activity.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition has previously concluded that sodium bicarbonate can improve performance during certain single- and repeated-bout exercises.

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Can It Really Make You Run Faster?

The answer depends on the type of exercise. Evidence suggests sodium bicarbonate may be particularly useful during high-intensity activities lasting roughly 30 seconds to 12 minutes, including sprinting and repeated bursts of exercise. This could make it relevant to sports such as football, hockey and basketball, where athletes repeatedly switch between intense efforts and recovery.

Long-distance running is less straightforward.

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis examined 11 studies involving 126 participants and found that a single dose of sodium bicarbonate provided a negligible overall benefit for continuous running performance. The researchers also found gastrointestinal symptoms were considerably more common with bicarbonate than placebo, occurring in 29.5% of participants compared with 2.6%.

That suggests a single dose may provide little benefit for continuous running, particularly over longer distances such as a marathon.

Why Are Athletes Still Using It?

One reason is that sodium bicarbonate may reduce the perception of effort and discomfort during intense exercise. By helping the body buffer acidity, it could allow some athletes to maintain a high intensity for longer.

Newer products have also attempted to solve one of bicarbonate's biggest drawbacks: stomach problems.

Traditional doses can cause bloating, gas and diarrhoea because bicarbonate reacts with stomach acid. Some newer formulations use gastro-resistant capsules designed to deliver the bicarbonate beyond the stomach, potentially reducing these effects.

However, avoiding stomach problems does not guarantee a performance benefit.

Should Recreational Runners Try It?

Probably not without testing it during training first. The available evidence does not show that baking soda is a universal performance enhancer, particularly for continuous running. Individual responses can also vary, and the risk of gastrointestinal symptoms means taking it for the first time immediately before a race could backfire.

For most recreational runners, consistent training, adequate nutrition, hydration, and recovery remain much more established foundations of performance.

Baking soda may have a role in sports nutrition, but it is not a shortcut to running faster. Its potential appears most relevant when exercise intensity is high enough for acidity and fatigue to become limiting factors.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the role of baking soda in athletic performance?
    Baking soda can help buffer acidity in the blood during intense exercise, potentially delaying fatigue and improving performance.
  • Is baking soda effective for all types of exercise?
    Baking soda is most effective for high-intensity activities lasting 45 seconds to 10 minutes, but less so for continuous endurance events like marathons.
  • What are the potential side effects of using baking soda?
    Common side effects include gastrointestinal issues such as bloating, gas, and diarrhoea.
  • Should recreational runners use baking soda?
    Recreational runners should be cautious and test it during training, as it may not provide universal benefits and can cause side effects.
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