Calcium lactate, blood pH and exercise performance in young men
What it found
Calcium lactate caused small rises in blood pH and bicarbonate but did not improve repeated high-intensity exercise.
These results come from two trials in young active men.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood pH and bicarbonate
Both the high dose (300 mg per kg body weight) and low dose (150 mg per kg) caused small but real rises in blood pH and bicarbonate. The dummy pill had no effect.
Exercise performance unchanged
Total work done, peak power and average power output were about the same across all three treatments. The small changes in blood chemistry were not enough to boost performance.
What the authors conclude
- They found that both doses of calcium lactate produced very small increases in blood pH and bicarbonate.
- They conclude these changes were too slight to improve repeated high-intensity exercise.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see if calcium lactate could change blood chemistry and help people perform better during short, intense bursts of exercise.
In the first part, 10 young active men took a high dose, a low dose or a dummy pill on separate visits. Blood was checked over four hours. In the second part, 12 young men took the same treatments and then did three rounds of an upper-body cycling test 90 minutes later.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial only included young, physically active men, so the results may not apply to women, older adults or less active people.
- It tested single doses taken shortly before exercise, so it cannot show what happens with daily use over time.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of São Paulo, Brazil
The paper
- Title
- The effects of two different doses of calcium lactate on blood pH, bicarbonate, and repeated high-intensity exercise performance
- Type
- Clinical trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Painelli Vde S, da Silva RP, de Oliveira OM, et al (2014). The effects of two different doses of calcium lactate on blood pH, bicarbonate, and repeated high-intensity exercise performance. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0191PubMed 24296517DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error