Sodium citrate and rehydration after exercise in male athletes
What it found
Sodium citrate helped male athletes rehydrate better after heavy sweating but did not change their cycling speed.
This was tested in 20 people.
What they found
Studies in people
Better rehydration with sodium citrate
During the 16-hour rest, the group taking sodium citrate drank more water and kept more of it. Their body weight and blood volume rose more than with the placebo.
No change in cycling speed
The 40-km cycling time took about the same length with sodium citrate (68.10 min) as with the placebo (68.11 min). Sweat loss and how hard the ride felt were also similar.
Higher blood lactate levels
At the end of the cycling test, blood lactate was higher with sodium citrate (7.58 mmol/L) than with the placebo (5.58 mmol/L).
Slightly lower body temperature
Rectal temperature at the end of the ride was slightly lower with sodium citrate (39.54 °C) compared to the placebo (39.65 °C).
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that sodium citrate improves rehydration after heavy sweating from exercise.
- They found no effect on later cycling performance in a warm environment.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see if taking sodium citrate during recovery from hard exercise in the heat would help athletes rehydrate and perform better later.
Twenty male endurance athletes exercised in 32 °C heat until they lost 4% of their body weight. They then rested for 16 hours with water, meals, and either sodium citrate or a placebo. After that, they completed a 40-km cycling time trial in the heat.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This study only included male endurance athletes, so results may differ for women or non-athletes.
- It tested one dose over a single day, so longer-term effects are unknown.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Tartu, Estonia; Tartu University Hospital, Estonia
The paper
- Title
- Impact of sodium citrate ingestion during recovery after dehydrating exercise on rehydration and subsequent 40-km cycling time-trial performance in the heat
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Suvi S, Mooses M, Timpmann S, et al (2018). Impact of sodium citrate ingestion during recovery after dehydrating exercise on rehydration and subsequent 40-km cycling time-trial performance in the heat. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme. doi:10.1139/apnm-2017-0584PubMed 29324186DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error