In my years as a chiropractor, I focused on the “structural integrity” of the human machine. But as a coach, I’ve realized that performance is often less about the chassis and more about the Aerobic Bank Account.

Think of your training as wealth management. Your long, slow runs are aerobic deposits—they build your equity and your “savings” over time. Your high-intensity intervals, however, are aerobic withdrawals. When you push into the red zone, you’re spending faster than you’re earning, eventually racking up a massive “debt” in the form of hydrogen ions (H+) and muscle acidity.

If you don’t have the cash (oxygen) to pay for that effort, your muscles go into “metabolic bankruptcy.” That’s where Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) comes in. It’s essentially a high-limit line of credit that allows you to stay in the game just a little bit longer.

The Pros and Cons: Managing Your Balance Sheet

In any investment, you have to weigh the ROI against the overhead. Sodium bicarb is a high-stakes play.

The Pros (The ROI)

• Overdraft Protection: Bicarb increases your blood’s alkalinity, allowing it to “absorb” the acidic debt (H+) from your muscles. This lets you maintain a higher intensity for longer.

• Faster Recovery on Intervals: It helps you “repay” the debt faster between reps, meaning your fifth 800m repeat looks as sharp as your first.

• The 2% Dividend: Research consistently shows a 2–3% performance boost in high-intensity efforts. In the world of running, that’s a massive return.

The Cons (The Hidden Fees)

• The “Liquidity” Crisis: The most common side effect is GI distress—bloating, nausea, and “urgent” pit stops. We call this “Bicarb Belly.”

• Sodium Inflation: A standard dose (0.3g per kg of body weight) is a massive salt hit. This leads to water retention, which can make you feel “heavy” despite the chemical advantage.

• Systemic Stress: For those with blood pressure concerns (the clinical side of me talking), the high sodium load can be a liability.

Investment Strategy: Choosing Your Race Distance

Just like you wouldn’t use a payday loan to buy a house, you shouldn’t use bicarb for every race.

• High-Volatility Assets (400m–3,000m): This is the “Goldman Sachs” of bicarb usage. These races are almost pure “debt.” Bicarb is most effective here (efforts lasting 1–10 minutes).

• Mid-Cap Growth (5K–10K): Highly effective for covering moves or that final 800m “liquidation sale” where you empty the tank.

• Long-Term Bonds (Marathons/Ultras): Usually not worth the risk. The pace is mostly “cash-on-hand” (aerobic), so the risk of a GI “market crash” during a 4-hour race usually outweighs the benefit.

The 3 Best “Financial Tools” (Brands)

1. Maurten Bicarb System: The “Venture Capital” option. It uses hydrogel technology to encapsulate the bicarb, allowing it to bypass the stomach acid. It’s the most expensive, but it’s the safest way to avoid bankruptcy (aka diarrhea).

2. Amp Human (PR Lotion): The “Insurance Policy.” This is a topical cream you rub onto the muscles. It bypasses the gut entirely. While the “deposit” into the bloodstream is lower than oral versions, the risk of side effects is nearly zero.

3. Arm & Hammer: The “Penny Stock” method. Plain baking soda. It’s effective and costs nothing, but the “transaction fees” on your stomach are extremely high.

The Coach’s Verdict

As a retired chiropractor, I want your mechanics to be sound. As your coach, I want your bank account to be full. Sodium bicarb is a great way to “spend” more than you have, but if you don’t manage the side effects, you’ll end up in default. Never “invest” in a new supplement on race day—always run a audit during a practice session first.

Ready to achieve your personal best, guided by a coach who understands running from the inside out? Hire Coach Burger , an elite private running coach and retired Doctor of Chiropractic, who combines championship-level training with a professional mastery of human biomechanics.

Coach Burger brings an unparalleled understanding of functional movement and injury prevention to every session. This clinical approach ensures that not only do you train harder, but you train smarter and safer. Coach Burger’s core coaching philosophy is that most runners run too hard on their easy days and too easy on their hard days, ultimately failing to maximize their potential.

This strategic and biomechanically sound methodology yields exceptional results across all disciplines: Coach Burger’s athletes include twelve State Champion hurdlers, a State Champion 4x800m Relay Team, and eleven All-State distance runners (XC, 1600m, 3200m) as well as recreational runners from the 5k to the marathon. Whether you are targeting a marathon, improving track speed, or seeking an injury-proof running career, choose the coach with the clinical expertise to build you into a true champion.

You can reach Coach Burger at [email protected].  Look for his website runnersedgecoaching.com to launch soon.