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Effects of Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation in Martial Arts Cover

Effects of Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation in Martial Arts

By: Goran Dankovic  
Open Access
|Feb 2026

Figures & Tables

Diagram 1.

Flow diagram of the data search strategy
Flow diagram of the data search strategy

Summary of study characteristics and findings for studies exploring the effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation in martial arts

StudyParticipantsImplemented physical treatmentDose of NaHCO3Timing of intakeMain findings
Artioli et al., 2006EG= 3, CG= 3, 6 male judo athletes, age: 20 ± 1.93 × 5min judo bouts, 15 min. of rest0.3g/kg120 min prior to testing
  • - Standing judo ↔

  • - Total number of attacks ↔

  • - BLC (after the fight 1) ↑

Artioli et al., 200723 male judo athletes, SJFT= 9, age: 21.5 ± 3; WT= 14, age: 19.3 ± 2.43 × SJFT (5-min rest); 4 × the Wingate test for upper extremities, 3-min recovery period between attempts0.3g/kg120 min prior to testing
  • - Number of throws (attempts 2 and 3, total) ↑

  • - BLC (after SJFT) ↑

  • - WT (attempts 3 and 4) ↑

  • - BLC (after WT) ↔

Siegler & Hirscher, 201010 male boxers, age: 22±32 two competitive boxing sparring matches one week apart; 4 × 3 min rounds, 1 min seated recovery0.3g/kg60 min prior to testing
  • - Total effectiveness of the punch ↑

  • - HR ↔

  • - RPE↔

Tobias, et al., 201337 male athletes, judo: n= 16, jiu-jitsu: n= 21 age: 26±44 × 30s – the Wingate test for upper extremities with a recovery period of 3 min between attemptsBA+ SB 0.5g/kg7 days during week four
  • - WT (attempts 2, 3 and 4) ↑

  • - BLC (after WT) ↑

  • - MP↑

  • - PP↑

  • - Total work done↑

Kazemi et al., 201316 male taekwondo athletes, age:17.93 ± 0.342 × 30 sec of repeated vertical jumps, 60 min rest before the second attempt0.065g/kgday of testing
  • - average value of anaerobic strength (attempts 1 and 2) ↑

  • - BLC ↔

Felippe et al., 201610 male judo athletes, age: 23 ± 53 × SJFT (5-min recovery)0.3g/kg120 to 60 min prior to testing
  • - Number of throws in all attempts (CAF+ SB) ↑

  • - Number of throws (SB) ↔

Yousef et al., 201510 elite male taekwondo athletes, age: 26.2 ± 4.26Interval training, speed training, plyometrics, punching focus mitts for a period of 6 weeks0.3g/kg60 min prior to treatment
  • - SB & BA compared to LD & CK ↔

Šančić et al., 201710 judo athletes (6 males and 4 females), age: 19.2 ±1.4SJFT and JMS for a duration of 4 min0.3g/kg120 min prior to testing
  • - Total number of throws ↔

  • - BLC ↑

Oliveira et al., 20172 judokas, 5 jiu-jitsu male athletes, age: 26 ± 54 × modified Wingate test for the upper extremities, 3 min of recovery0.5g/kg, 0.125g/kg per day5 days prior to treatment
  • - TMW in total ↑,

  • - attempts 1 and 2 p= 0.38 ↔

  • - attempts 3 and 4 p= 0.001 ↑

Durkalec-Michalski et al. 201818 female and 31 male wrestlers age: 19± 42 × Wingate test alternating with throwing a testing dummy during recovery0.025 to 0.1 g/kg day 1-2=0.025, day 3–5=0.05, day 6–7=0.075, day 8–10=0.1g/kg10 days prior to treatment
  • - Time to peak power (first Wingate) ↑

  • - Time to peak power (second Wingate) ↓

  • - maximum, average and minimum power: ↔ Number of throws: ↔

Lopes-Silva et al., 20189 male taekwondo athletes age: 19.4± 2.23× 2 min of a simulated taekwondo match, one minute of recovery0.3 g/kg90 min prior to the match simulation
  • - BLC ↑

  • - Tat ↑

  • - RPE ↔

Gough et al. 20197 male elite professional boxers, age: 27.1 ± 5.13 × HIIR protocol, followed by 2×TLIM(1&2), (75 min rest) as well as a specific protocol of boxing punching combinations0.3 g/kg10 min after the treatment
  • - Lactate threshold ↑

  • - time to fatigue: ↑

Razaei et al. 20198 karatekas age: 20.5 ± 2.4A karate-specific aerobic testSB+ caffeine SB: 0.3g/kg caffeine: 6g/kgThree-day intake, 120 to 60 min prior to the treatment
  • - TTE: ↑

  • - RPE ↔

  • - BLC ↑

Ragone et al., 202010 male jiujitsukas age: 22.2 ± 3.9Test of maximum voluntary contraction, intermittent isometric test of contraction0.3 g/kg60 min prior to the test
  • - BLC ↑

  • - Overall number of contractions ↔

  • - Duration of the performance ↔

Durkalec-Michalski et al. 202018 female and 33 male wrestlers age: 19.2 ± 3.1;2 × Wingate test with throwing a testing dummy during the rest period of the SJFT0.025 to 0.150 mg/kg10 days prior to testing
  • - PP: ↔

  • - MP: ↔

  • - Power drop: ↔

  • - Average power ↑

  • - Power during the performance of the Wingate test: ↑

  • - Number of throws: ↑ only among the males

Koozehchian et al., 202040 well-trained male taekwondo athletes, age: 21.4 ± 13 × Taekwondo anaerobic intermittent leg kick test, 60 sed rest between boutsCR+SB, SB SB: 0.5g·kg CR: 20g5 days prior to testing
  • - PP↑

  • - MP↑

  • - Fatigue index ↔

  • - BLC ↓

Sarshin et al. 202140 male taekwondo athletes age: 21 ± 1Taekwondo anaerobic intermittent leg kick test0.5 g/kgduring 5 days prior to testing
  • - PP: ↑

  • - MP↑

  • - BLC ↑

  • - RPE ↑

  • - Overall number of leg kicks ↑

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjecr-2022-0016 | Journal eISSN: 2956-2090 | Journal ISSN: 2956-0454
Language: English
Page range: 301 - 310
Submitted on: Feb 4, 2022
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Accepted on: Apr 1, 2022
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Published on: Feb 23, 2026
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2026 Goran Dankovic, published by University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Medical Sciences
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.