The effect of acute induced metabolic alkalosis on anaerobic performance

• Main Author: Wilkes, Donna L. Duffy
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-1981
• Subjects: Anatomy & physiology; Animals; Kinesiology; Physical education; Physiology; Sports medicine
• ISBN: 0315968389; 9780315968387

Exhaustive exercise of one to two minutes' duration is limited by intracellular lactacidosis. Evidence indicates that acidosis and the resultant fatigue can be offset by increasing the buffering capacity of body fluids. Thus, alkalosis should have an ergogenic benefit in anaerobic track events. Six trained varsity track athletes and seven moderately-active subjects were studied under alkalotic (NaHCO$\sb3$ ingestion), placebo (CaCO$\sb3$ ingestion) and control (no drug) conditions to determine the effect of an acute metabolic alkalosis on performance time in an 800m race. Pre-exercise blood (HC$\sb3\sp{-}\rbrack$ and related acid-base indices were altered significantly in the alkalotic versus the placebo and control conditions in all subjects. The track athletes ran significantly faster ($\sim$3 sec) in the alkalotic than in the placebo and control conditions. There were no differences in the performance times of the active subjects in the three conditions. Post exercise (lactate), pH standard (HCO$\sb3\sp{-}\rbrack,$ base excess and buffer base were significantly higher in the alkalotic than in the placebo and control conditions in both groups. It is concluded that NaHCO$\sb3$ loading prior to an anaerobic event has an ergogenic benefit in trained runners. It is speculated that the increased extracellular buffering facilitated H$\sp{+}$ efflux from the cell which delayed the decrease in intracellular pH and postponed fatigue. The lack of a significant improvement in the active subjects is attributed to their unfamiliarity with pacing in the 800m race which resulted in a large variability in their performance times.