For several months, intriguing little white pots have been attracting athletes. The “bicarb system”, a translucent gel, based on sodium bicarbonate, marketed by the new Swedish flagship of sports nutrition, Maurten. A gel and a promise: that of pushing the limits of the body. The substance is not banned, but for some, its use is akin to doping.
Before entering the blue track of the Miramas stadium which hosts the French “Elite” athletics championships, athletes isolate themselves to swallow spoons of a translucent gel. Athletes grimace, the potion based on sodium bicarbonate from the Maurten brand is not great in the mouth, but it has the merit of being effective, promises the Swedish company which markets it. It is about“a fuel designed to help athletes push the limits of effort and power”we can read on the website of the new flagship of sports nutrition.
“I am more able to reach my limits during the race because I know that I will suffer less post-race »describes this athlete who was thus able to more easily complete the series at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, until reaching the final. “It has an effect on my performance, but I can’t quantify it”recognizes the 800-meter runner Corentin Le Clézio, also an Olympian.
They claim to have started consuming it a year ago, seeing their international competitors taking it before their race. A desire for fairness on the starting line which also pushed Hugo Houyez to take the plunge: “I was rather reluctant, but as it was authorized and I knew that all my competitors in France were taking it, I tried it”. Last May, this 800 meter specialist ingested his first dose. “I wouldn’t have played the qualifier for the Games, I wouldn’t have taken any. But I told myself that if I missed them by two hundredths for this reason, I would regret it in ten years when I look back on my career”. Despite the competitiveness of the sporting environment, Lise Thimon, specialist in the 3,000 meters, still resists: “Telling me that I potentially have to take a substance to keep up with my competitors, I find that problematic”.
An effect on sports performance
“ This is a very divisive subject », confirms Charles-Yannick Guezennec. This professor of the armed forces health service specializing in biomedical research, now retired, himself studied the effects of bicarbonate in the 1980s. It was assumed that muscle fatigue, during a very short and very intense effort, was due to muscular acidity, because the body produces lactic acid. », he explains. It is this production of lactic acid that causes a burning sensation in the muscles, limiting athletes in their effort.
“ When bicarbonate is ingested, it penetrates muscle cells and counteracts the effect of lactic acid. In our experiment, athletes performed grueling efforts on bicycles. They were then given 30 grams of bicarbonate to drink. Taking bicarbonate increased performance », Develops this specialist.
In 2021, a new publication confirms the effect of bicarbonate on performance, for doses ranging from 0.2g/kg to 0.5g/kg. “ It’s a scientific story that has lasted for 40 years in reality, in which we have still found an effect on performance, of 0.5% to 1%. It’s not much, but it makes the difference between first and last in an Olympic final », concludes Charles-Yannick Guezennec.
Another aspect raises questions about the use of bicarbonate: its ability to mask the use of amphetamines, wakefulness stimulants, considered doping. “ Bicarbonates are basic substances which will allow the body to reabsorb ingested amphetamines rather than eliminating them in the urine. Bicarbonate therefore prolongs and strengthens the activity of amphetamines while avoiding a positive control », Explains Jean-Pierre de Mondenard, sports doctor and specialist in doping issues. However, according to the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), masking products must be considered doping.
Banned in horse racing
Despite everything, the substance appeals to the highest authorities of French sport. Coach and scientific advisor for performance within Insep, François Chiron only recommends this to his high-level athletes, at the time of competitions: “ We’re talking about performance optimization [mais] when we want to optimize it requires already being efficientt”, assures those for whom the gain is too marginal and the danger to health too little present to be assimilated to doping.
However, sodium bicarbonate has been banned in horse racing for around twenty years. “ It’s a story of quantity. A handful was added to horses’ food, particularly to combat stomach ulcers. But there were diversions. Some riders forced hundreds of grams of it into their horses. This made it possible, to simplify, to delay muscular fatigue in the animal. It has become an international doping technique”explains Hélène Bourguignon, head of the equine biology department within the horse racing federation. So why is the same regulation not transcribed in humans? “ The definition of prohibited substances is much broader in the equestrian field, because the aim is to protect the animal from abusive use. “, she says.
From stomach aches to respiratory problems
In the world of human sport, prohibited doping substances are listed on a list of the World Anti-Doping Agency, updated each year. “ For a substance to be doping in the eyes of WADA, it must meet two of these three criteria: the potential to improve sports performance, the risk to the athlete’s health And violation of sportsmanship »explains sports law lawyer Laurent Plagnol.
Often minimized, the side effects of bicarbonate are nevertheless very present: nausea, vomiting, stomach aches… It is to respond to this problem that Maurten invented the bicarbonate gel. bicarb system. According to the company, it acts as “a transportation system » so that the bicarbonate is released directly into the intestines – rather than into the stomach – and thus avoid complications. “I had stomach problems during almost every take even though I don’t usually have them”however, confides Aurélio Gauthier, an athlete specializing in Ironman who stopped consuming it for this reason.
Charles-Yannick Guezennec also warns of respiratory risks, particularly for people suffering from asthma: “by ingesting bicarbonate, we reduce the need for breathing”. “You will absorb much less oxygen during exercise and this can lead to respiratory failure,” adds Jean-Pierre de Mondenard.
Asked about the potential link between the bicarb’ system and doping, the manager of the Maurten brand defends himself. “ This is a very interesting ethical dimension. I haven’t seen this discussion emerge yet. The only certainty is that sodium bicarbonate is not classified as a doping agent and we are a private company, we do not break the rules », maintains Herman Reuterswärd. “ With bicarbonate, we are really in the gray zone of anti-doping authorities. Today, we have a bunch of techniques for optimizing performance, which are limited for the health of athletes, but I don’t think WADA is interested in them, there is already a lot to do with the EPO or testosterone », sighs Charles-Yannick Guezennec.