Caffeine and Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation Improves Repeated High-Intensity Exercise Performance

The effect of caffeine and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) supplementation as recovery promoting nutritional aids after high-intensity exhaustive exercise performance has sparsely studied. This study tests the hypothesis that when caffeine or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3 ) are ingested after completion of exhaustive high-intensity exercise, a positive performance effect would be observed in subsequent high-intensity exercise. Healthy males (n=20) were assigned in a single-blind, randomized, counter-balanced design to ingest either 0.3 g.kg–1 body wt of NaHCO3 or 6 mg.kg–1 body wt of caffeine or a placebo after completion of an all-out 2000m rowing exercise (EX1). Participants rested for 90 min before engagement in a second 2000m rowing bout (EX2). Performance in EX2 was reduced (p<0.05) by 5.3±7.0 s compared to EX1 within the placebo trials. However, EX2 performance was unchanged (p>0.05) when NaHCO3 was consumed during the recovery period. In the caffeine trial EX2 performance was 2% better (p<0.05) than the second row within the placebo trial (456.0±17.8 vs. 464.6±21.6 s, respectively). The commencement of EX2 was associated with elevated blood [lactate], with NaHCO3 trials eliciting the highest [lactate], and reduced blood [glucose], apart from caffeine whereby blood [glucose] was maintained. No differences in heart rate of rate of perceived exertion was found between all trials. Caffeine improved same-day performance recovery in 2000m rowing relative to placebo, NaHCO3 supplementation maintained same-day rowing performance. Therefore, these supplements may potentially be beneficial as recovery aids in repeated high-intensity exercise scenarios.