Photo: Bildbyrån
Most people use it for baking or cleaning.
But in recent years it has become trendy among cardio athletes to use bicarbonate as a performance enhancer, especially in Norway.
– I’ve tried it in training as well, but it didn’t work so well for me, Jonna Sundling tells NRK.
It’s really nothing new or completely revolutionary. Already in the 1980s, bicarbonate was used as a performance-enhancing aid, but it has since fallen into oblivion. Now in recent years it has become trendy again, especially in Norway.
Kläbo uses bicarbonate
According to some research, cardio athletes who take bicarbonate regularly see an effect of about one to two percent improvement in performance compared to those who do not take it. This is reported by the Norwegian NRK. The bicarbonate dampens the lactic acid in the muscles, which in practice makes the exerciser more durable. For performances that last half an hour, the percentage improvement corresponds to 18 to 36 seconds, which of course can be directly decisive in a ski race, for example.
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The middle distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen uses the “miracle powder”. So does the compatriot Johannes Hösflot Kläbo.
– I use it a little from time to time, and learned it from cycling. It’s really about how you experience the acid in your body, says the skiing king to NRK.
Jonna Sundling resists peer pressure
In Sweden it is not quite as popular as in Norway. But there are some famous athletes who like to use the supplement on a regular basis.
– They are a few years behind in Norway, I have driven it for four, five years. It buffers lactic acid and although I’m not the world’s best medical expert, I think I benefit from it, says the biathlete Sebastian Samuelsson to SVT.
– It works well for me. I think it goes well every time I take it, says the sprint star Maja Dahlqvist to NRK.
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Maja’s colleague in the Swedish women’s cross-country skiing team, Jonna Sundlinghowever, is more skeptical.
– I love to bake, and use it above all in baked goods. I’ve tried it in training too, but it didn’t work so well for me. My stomach hurts, she says.
Given that she is the world’s best sprinter anyway without any “miracle powder”, it does not seem to be entirely decisive. She still leads the overall sprint cup and is the double reigning world champion in sprint and team sprint.
You do what you want and feel, Jonna. Apparently you’re doing very well anyway, without any bicarbonate. Keep driving and show the others who is really in charge. Hi Jonna!
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