The consumption of baking soda by some runners of the Jumbo-Visma team has no effect on sports performance, according to the UAE-Team Emirates physiologist. Otherwise, this product could cure cancer, he argues.
So that would be the secret of the Jumbo-Visma. For several weeks, the rumor has been circulating in the pelotons that the team of Wout van Aert, Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard, which has dominated the cycling planet for a few seasons, would use a product as banal as baking soda. This substance that is found in any kitchen, coupled with ketone, would reduce the impact of lactic acid, and would therefore allow longer and more intense efforts.
A scenario that leaves the other formations skeptical. “It’s a fantasy to believe that it’s a miraculous thing. Do you really think that if that was what made all the difference, the Jumbo-Visma team would have publicly alerted everyone about it?thus blew the manager of a French team to West France. “To believe that the combination of baking soda, Maurten and ketones can change everything for a cyclist is nonsense and it makes me want to laugh”, abounded Jean-Jacques Menuet, former doctor of the Arkea-Samsic team.
Via Twitter, physiologist Iñigo San Millán, performance manager at UAE-Team Emirates, took care to dismantle the theory that baking soda is a miracle product. “First of all, baking soda is one of the oldest supplements. It has been used for decades for this purpose. Like many supplements that don’t work, they tend to resurface 20-30 years later.”had fun this scientist who therefore collaborates with Tadej Pogacar.
A thread on how IMHO bicarbonate doesn’t work to “decrease” lactate from muscles
First of all, bicarbonate is one of the oldest supplements out there. It has been used for decades for this purpose. Like many supplements that don’t work, they tend to resurface 20-30 years later…— Iñigo San Millán (@doctorinigo) April 18, 2023
The Spaniard explains that the pH of a muscle can drop during a major effort, therefore because of lactic acid. But there’s no way baking soda can block the impact of lactic acid, he says. And for good reason, because cancer cells also have a very low pH, similar to that of a muscle in full effort. “If baking soda could reach the muscles so easily, it would also reach the cancer cells to neutralize the acidosis of the tumor microenvironment and would probably be the most effective treatment for cancer”he explains.
Concretely, if baking soda had such an effect on the body, scientists would have noticed it a long time ago during their countless researches to fight against cancer. For once, we could really speak of a miracle product, but it obviously seems that this is not appropriate…
