Sodium bicarbonate improved CrossFit® Benchmark Fran, but not subsequent 500 m rowing performance.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of sodium bicarbonate (SB) supplementation on physical performance, neuromuscular and metabolic responses during CrossFit® exercise. Seventeen Advanced CrossFit®-trained athletes completed the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover protocol consisting of four visits, including two familiarization sessions and two experimental trials separated by a 7-day washout period. Participants supplemented 0.3 g/kg body mass (BM) of SB or placebo 120-min prior to performing the CrossFit® benchmark Fran followed by 500 m of rowing. SB improved time to complete Fran compared to PLA (291.2 ± 71.1 vs. 303.3 ± 77.8 s, p  = 0.047), but not 500 m rowing (112.1 s ± 7.9 vs. 113.2 s ± 8.9 s, p  = 0.26). No substantial side-effects were reported during the trials. This study showed that SB improved CrossFit® benchmark Fran performance, but not subsequent 500-m rowing. These data suggest that SB might be an interesting supplementation strategy for CrossFit® athletes.