Peter Defty and Dr. Johnathan Edwards unpack the buzz around bicarbonate loading—a practice that's been making headlines. But is it really the game-changer it’s marketed to be?

Dr. Edwards brings a grounded perspective, drawing from years of experience coaching elite athletes, including Olympians like Brenda Martinez as well as his own personal experience as a Cat 1 Cyclist. 

He points out that sodium bicarbonate protocols are nothing new—they’ve been used for decades by time trial cyclists and motocross athletes—success with bicarb hinges on precise application. Most athletes, he argues, don’t load properly or misunderstand what it actually does.

Together, Peter and Dr. Edwards break down the real physiology:

• Bicarb doesn’t boost power directly, but buffers the acid load of blood lactate which is a by-product of metabolizing too much glucose for energy. This buffering effect improves pain tolerance and duration at VO2 max

• This buffering effect may provide a perceived mental edge more than a measurable physiological one.

• It has utility in short, high-intensity events (e.g., sprint cycling, 800m running) where hanging on for a few extra milliseconds matter.

• However, for endurance and recreational events, the benefit is questionable—and possibly more of a marketing tool than a performance breakthrough, especially for the vast majority of athletes. .

Peter grounds the conversation by reminding athletes that the body maintains a tightly regulated pH balance. The idea that you can become too “acidic” or “alkaline” from food or supplements is a persistent myth. Instead, their approach at OFM focuses on preventing excess lactate production in the first place through performance level fat adaptation, thus eliminating the need for buffering lactate.

📌 Conclusion

Bicarbonate loading can work—but it’s not magic, and, if done improperly, can backfire.. As Dr. Edwards puts it, the impact is mostly mental: a slight extension of your pain threshold. For short, explosive efforts, that’s meaningful. But for longer races and everyday athletes, the benefit is likely minimal. When it comes to real performance and long-term health, building metabolic capacity to minimize lactate load beat buffering hacks every time.

🎬 See the Entire Podcast with Dr. Edwards and Peter Here