Will Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) increase muscle growth?

Let’s understand this in an oversimplified way. The pH of our muscles is around 7.5 Let’s say you are doing a set of biceps curls, and the pain you feel as you reach the last rep because of lactic acid that builds up in your working muscles.

This lactic acid will lower the muscle pH (approximate 6.5-7 pH) and make it acidic, resulting in muscle fatigue and completion of the set. This is called exercise-induced metabolic acidosis.

Now, what Sodium bicarbonate will do is, it will prevent the muscles from becoming acidic for a while by raising muscle & blood pH, so that muscle fatigue is delayed, hence improving exercise performance. Simply put, you’ll be able to pull a few extra reps.

So, theoretically, the extra reps that come from this delayed fatigue can increase your workout volume, which is a major factor in muscle growth. And this can indirectly support muscle hypertrophy by enhancing exercise performance, however, direct evidence of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on muscle growth is not well established.

Looking to achieve your fitness goals?

We offer personalized nutrition & training plans tailored for fat loss, muscle gain, or any other health goal. Click below, fill out the form, and reach your fitness goals much faster than most people.

However, it is proven to increase muscle endurance, and there is evidence to support improved exercise performance in certain high-intensity sports such as cycling, running, swimming, rowing etc.

So, with this information, we can conclude that baking soda may or may not work for muscle growth, but the muscle-building basics will definitely work (progressive resistance/weight training + optimal protein + small surplus + rest).

So if you wish to try, combine the muscle-building basics with a serving of sodium bicarbonate to see if it works or not. We will very soon make a video about when and how to consume it.