stamina

[oblongomaculatus]

Anyone tried this? Apparently it's an old trick of distance runners, but I only came across it recently. Sodium bicarbonate. You dissolve a little in water and drink it half an hour or so before you ride and it increases stamina during the ride and reduces fatigue afterwards. I read of it in the health section of a newspaper, where it claimed that the bicarb, which is alkaline, neutralises the lactic acid in your muscles which causes that burning ache, in much the way it neutralises the acid when you have an upset stomach. That explanation sounds a little nuts to me, but I've been trying it recently and it seems to work. More energy during a ride and less ache afterwards. I'm guessing it's more to do with replacing lost salts, in the way those drinks you get in cycle shops claim to do. They're fruit flavoured but what they mostly taste of is salt. Anyway, bicarb is cheaper and as far as I can tell, definitely helps.

 

[Hont]

How much is "a little"?

 

[oblongomaculatus]

I dunno... I'm still experimenting. About as much as you'd take for indigestion? Half a teaspoon or so maybe. Works for me anyway.

 

[zacklaws]

Sodium Bicarbonate is like many other things, a good side and a bad side, take too much and you will easily exceed your daily sodium intake causing high blood pressure, diarrhoea, and excessive belching.

Somethings work and some don't, and some only work because you believe it does and its more pyschological.

I have just stopped taking caffeine, taurine and L tyrosine because I always felt it enhanced my performance, but I have just recently stopped apart from caffeine but only at the latter stages of a long ride if I am loosing concentration and tiring, but since stopping I can see there is no change in my performance and actually feel as if I am performing better without.

 

[jimboalee]

The way to improve 'muscular endurance' is to do CV training.

Increasing capillarization in the blood circulatory system delays fatigue by providing an ample supply of oxygen to the muscles.

A lot of hard work....B)