Sports | August 16, 2008 | 0 comments

Is bicarbonate of soda a performance-enhancing drug?

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toshiba
With scientific studies saying it raises sporting chance, is baking soda in the kit bags of the Beijing athletes?

Performance-enhancing drugs usually bring to mind designer steroids and human growth hormones. Yet some athletes rely on more rudimentary - and legal - means to boost their race times, including using a substance usually tucked away in a kitchen cupboard.

For years, keen runners have sworn that taking a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) helps them to keep going for longer. For years, experts doubted that there was anything other than a placebo effect to these claims until they subjected the substance to rigorous examination. Most exercise scientists investigating the trend for “soda-doping” among athletes and gym-goers have shown that it offers significant benefits for endurance and speed.
  1. groups:
    Sports,   Drugs
  2. tags:
    Sports Drugs Olympics performance enhancing
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