[The Fury]

Eric,

The fact still remains that NaHCO3 is banned by most sports governing bodies but not by AIDA.
Do you not think that ingesting NaHCO3 might delay the urge to breathe by delaying the drop in pH due to CO2 build up? And if this were the case then surely the risk of blackout would be greater.
My understanding of the Bohr effect is that increased temperature or reduced pH have the effect of increasing O2 dissociation from haemoglobin. So wouldn't a delayed drop in pH due to NaHCO3 ingestion further increase the risk of blackout at higher O2 saturations?

In previous studies into the effect of sodium bicarbonate, effects have been found in some cases and not in others. The results seem to be dependant upon the intensity and duration of the exercise but not on the fitness of the individual. It is thought that ingestion of NaHCO3 might make only a small difference in elite athletes but that the difference is enough to make the difference between last or first place in an event such as the 800m sprint.

I am not saying that NaHCO3 will definitely improve or hinder freediving performance. That is what my study is trying to determine. But do you think it is wise to be using it in freediving?