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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07017582

The Effect of Bicarbonate Supplementation on Performance and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Rugby Players.

The objetive of the study was to determine whether sodium bicarbonate supplementation improves athletic performance and/or reduces fatigue in elite rugby players.

The participants were 17 elite rugby players. Half of the participants receive sodium bicarbonate (0.3 g/kg body weight), the other half receive a placebo (salt). Ingestion of the supplementation/placebo occured 90 minutes before high-intensity rugby-specific training Variables analysed were measure at baseline, prior to exercise, during exercise and after exercise.

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Key information

Conditions

Supplementation

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Universidad de Burgos

Burgos, Spain

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Male rugby players who were competing in the First Spanish National League (Division de Honor A) voluntarily agreed to participate in the study after attending an informative session

Exclusion criteria

  • injury or illness on test day

Treatment and study plan

Soidum Bicarbonate

Dietary Supplement

Supplementation with 0.03 g/kg of sodium bicarbonate

Placebo

Dietary Supplement

0.03 g·kg-1 body mass sodium chloride

Primary outcomes

  1. Capillary blood lactate

    Time frame: At baseline (prior to supplementation), prior to exercise (immediately before beginning exercise protocol), after exercise (immediately after finishing exercise protocol).

    Lactate concentrations were measured in a capillary blood sample obtained fromparticipants' fingertips using a portable analyzer (Lactate 2, Arkray, Kyoto, Japan)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Countermovement jump

    Time frame: At baseline (prior to supplementation) and after exercise (immediately after finishing exercise protocol).

    For the CMJ, subjects started from an upright position withhands on waist and then executed a countermovement jump by flexing the knees to 90◦and jumping as high as possible. During the flight stage, they were instructed to keep theirknees extended to 180◦, without hyperextending the hips . Jump height was measuredon an infrared platform (Optojump, Microgate, Bolzano, Italy).

  2. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms

    Time frame: At baseline (before supplementation), prior to exercise (immediately before beginning exercise protocol), after exercise (immediately after finishing exercise protocol).

    Questionnaires consisted of nine 100-mm visual analog scales (VASs). The VASs were anchored at each end with no symptom on the left-hand side and severe symptom on the right-hand side. Participants were asked to rate the severity of their symptoms. If they were experiencing no symptoms, they circled the appropriate words, for example, no nausea. If they were experiencing some symptoms, they indicated their overall rating by placing a vertical mark on the line.

    The VASs were used to measure symptoms of nausea, flatulence, stomach cramping, belching, stomachache, bowel urgency, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach bloating.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Universidad de Burgos

Other

Collaborators

  • Universidad Isabel I

Registry information

Official study title

Bicarbonate and Rugby

Acronym: Bicarbrugby

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Jun 12, 2025
Registry last updated
Jun 12, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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