Sodium citrate and exercise performance in trained female athletes
What it found
Sodium citrate did not improve cycling times compared with a placebo in ten trained female athletes.
Sodium bicarbonate led to faster times than both sodium citrate and the placebo.
What they found
Studies in people
Cycling performance
Sodium citrate did not change cycling times compared with the placebo. Taking both supplements together also made no difference to times. Sodium bicarbonate alone led to faster times than all other options.
Blood acid balance
Before exercise, blood bicarbonate levels were higher after taking sodium bicarbonate compared with sodium citrate or the placebo. The authors say this improved the blood's buffering capacity.
Blood lactate levels
Blood lactate was higher after exercise when athletes took sodium bicarbonate compared with the placebo.
Stomach symptoms
Athletes reported more stomach discomfort before exercise when taking sodium bicarbonate compared with the placebo or sodium citrate.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that sodium bicarbonate improved the blood's ability to buffer acid compared with sodium citrate and the placebo.
- They say this improvement allowed better exercise performance.
How it was done
The researchers wanted to compare how sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, or both together affect intense exercise. They tested these supplements in highly trained female CrossFit athletes.
Ten trained female CrossFit athletes took part. Each completed four 6 km cycling time trials after taking capsules of sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, both combined, or a placebo. The researchers measured blood chemistry before and after exercise.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial only included ten highly trained female CrossFit athletes. It cannot show what happens in men, casual exercisers, or the general public.
- The study measured short bursts of intense cycling. It does not tell us about long term health effects of sodium citrates.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Edge Hill University, United Kingdom; Beijing Sport University, China
The paper
- Title
- Individual and Combined Effects of Sodium Bicarbonate and Sodium Citrate Supplementation on High-Intensity Exercise Performance in Highly Trained Female CrossFit Athletes
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Martin RAXJ, Yang X, McNaughton LR (2025). Individual and Combined Effects of Sodium Bicarbonate and Sodium Citrate Supplementation on High-Intensity Exercise Performance in Highly Trained Female CrossFit Athletes. International journal of sports physiology and performance. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2024-0190PubMed 40840560DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error