---
title: "One minute faster without getting fitter"
date: 2025-09-14
categories: ["Supplements"]
url: https://www.semiprocycling.com/digest/one-minute-faster-without-getting-fitter
author: Damian Ruse (SEMIPRO Cycling)
---
# One minute faster without getting fitter

![](https://www.semiprocycling.com/digest/images/d1a578ccdca1dffad4a33ec0.webp)

## Short answer

Yes. In a lab RCT, trained male cyclists were ~54 s faster over 40 km after **0.3 g/kg sodium bicarbonate** as **mini‑tablets in a carbohydrate hydrogel**. GI issues were low.

## What they did

- Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, crossover
- 14 trained male cyclists
- 0.3 g/kg sodium bicarbonate in hydrogel
- Each rider first mapped their own time to peak blood bicarbonate
- Two 40 km TTs on separate days

## What happened

- ~54 s faster vs placebo
- Higher buffering before and during the TT
- GI symptoms similar to placebo

## Who this helps

Anyone doing **40–70 min TT‑style efforts**, Zwift TTs, or solo breakaways. Female and broader ability data still limited.

## Use it like this

- **Dose:** 0.3 g/kg. For 75 kg, that is **22.5 g**
- **Product:** bicarbonate mini‑tablet in a carbohydrate hydrogel
- **Timing:** rehearse at **90, 120, 150 min** pre‑start on separate days. Typical peak is **90–240 min**
- **Race day:** normal breakfast, **60–90 g carbs/h**, usual caffeine. If any GI rumble in practice, cut dose slightly and take it earlier

## Caveats

Lab setting. One author has industry ties; product supplied free. Timing is individual and non‑negotiable.

## Safety

High sodium load. If you have hypertension, kidney issues, or are sodium restricted, get medical advice. Always test in training first.

## Bottom line

A bicarbonate hydrogel can deliver **about a one‑minute gain** in a 40 km TT with low GI cost, if you dial in **0.3 g/kg** and your **personal timing**.

Reference: PubMed: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.go...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39068627/)

## On my mind

Eliud Kipchoge said it.

Here’s how I see it.

Eliud Kipchoge put it bluntly: “Only the disciplined ones in life are free. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and your passions.”

My take. Discipline isn’t cold. It’s shoes by the door, bottles filled the night before, alarm at 5, and starting when I said I would. It cuts mood out of the decision and lets the plan lead. The ride still hurts, but I finish lighter because I kept a promise. That’s real freedom.

Damian