Science Research How it works Intake Ingredients Order now

Performance bicarb — made real

Fuel
the
burn

Same science as Maurten. Same hydrogel protection as FLYCARB. No markup for branding. Just sodium bicarbonate that actually works — mixed fresh, dosed right, priced fair.

3%
Avg performance gain
$5
Per serving
scroll

The science

Acidity
kills your
output

During maximal effort, your muscles produce hydrogen ions faster than your body can clear them. pH drops. The burn hits. You slow down — not because you're out of fuel, but because your blood is too acidic to keep firing.

Sodium bicarbonate is your body's natural buffer, supercharged. A high dose taken 90 minutes before effort raises your blood's buffering capacity — letting you sustain harder efforts for longer before the acid wins.

The problem has always been getting it into your system without GI distress. That's where the gel comes in.

Blood pH during effort

At rest — pH 7.4

7.4
AcidicNeutralAlkaline

During max effort — pH drops toward 6.9

6.9
AcidicNeutralAlkaline

With BICARB.NET — buffered to ~7.1

7.1
AcidicNeutralAlkaline
Sodium bicarbonate raises your buffering capacity before exercise — so when acidity builds, your blood pH drops less sharply, staying closer to the zone where muscles can keep firing.

Protocol

Three steps.
One bag.

01
Mix

Pour one bag into 60–80ml of cold water. Shake for 90 seconds. The xanthan gum activates into a thick hydrogel that encases the bicarb — protecting it from your stomach acid.

02
Wait

Let the gel rest for 3–5 minutes. It thickens further. Take it 90–120 minutes before your race or hard session, at least one hour after a meal.

03
Go

Drink the full gel in one go. The hydrogel carries the bicarb past your stomach and into your small intestine, where it's absorbed cleanly — no GI drama, just buffering capacity when you need it most.

Dosing & timing

Know your
numbers.

⚖️
Your dose
0.3g × body weight (kg)
60 kg18g NaHCO₃
65 kg19.5g NaHCO₃
70 kg21g NaHCO₃
75 kg22.5g NaHCO₃
80 kg24g NaHCO₃

Our bags are pre-dosed for 60–70kg athletes. If you're outside this range, let us know when ordering and we'll adjust.

⏱
Timing window
T − 2h
Eat your last meal
T − 90min
Mix and take BICARB.NET
T − 60min
Bicarb absorbed into blood
T − 0
Race / hard session

The buffering peak hits ~60–90 min after ingestion. Too early and it fades. Too late and it hasn't fully absorbed. 90 min out is the sweet spot.

📅
Frequency & gut training
3×
Maximum per week. High sodium load — skip extra salt on days you take it.
1st
First time? Start at 0.2g/kg. Your gut needs to adapt before hitting full dose.
2–3
Training runs before race day. Never use bicarb for the first time in competition.
🏃
Best for these efforts
800m – 5K
Cycling intervals
HYROX
Time trials
CrossFit WODs
Hill repeats
Combat sports
Rowing

Strongest evidence is for high-intensity efforts lasting 45 seconds to 8 minutes. Less benefit for steady-state aerobic runs over 10K.

Peer-reviewed evidence

The research
is clear.

Sodium bicarbonate has been studied in sports science since the 1930s. Here's what the current evidence actually says.

Umbrella Review · 2021
Peak anaerobic power, endurance, and intermittent running all significantly improved
An umbrella review of multiple meta-analyses concluded that sodium bicarbonate supplementation enhances peak anaerobic power, anaerobic capacity, performance in endurance events lasting roughly 45 seconds to 8 minutes, muscular endurance, 2000m rowing performance, and high-intensity intermittent running.
PubMed → PMID 34794476
ISSN Position Stand · 2021
International Society of Sports Nutrition officially endorses sodium bicarbonate
The ISSN's comprehensive position stand — based on analysis of hundreds of studies — concludes that sodium bicarbonate is ergogenic for muscular endurance (Cohen's d = 0.37) and supports its use across a wide range of high-intensity sport disciplines including running, cycling, swimming, and combat sports.
PubMed → PMID 34503527
Meta-Analysis · 17 Trials
Significant improvement in time to exhaustion across 6 independent studies
A systematic review of 17 clinical trials found a significant beneficial effect of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on time to exhaustion (effect size 1.48; 95% CI 0.49–2.48). Athletes were able to sustain maximal efforts meaningfully longer compared to placebo.
PubMed → PMID 33887823
Honest caveat
Works best for high-intensity efforts — less evidence for steady-state running
A 2025 meta-analysis found negligible benefit for continuous steady-state running. The strongest evidence is for efforts 45 seconds to 8 minutes at near-maximal intensity — think 800m, 1500m, intervals, HYROX, Crossfit, cycling sprints, and combat sports. Know your use case.
PubMed → PMID 41416636
40+Years of research
0.3g/kg evidence-based dose
ISSNOfficially endorsed
WADALegal — not banned

Full transparency

Nothing
hidden.

165
Calories
40g
Carbohydrates
0g
Fat
0g
Protein
100%
Carb-sourced energy
19g
Sodium Bicarbonate
The active ingredient. Raises blood buffering capacity, delays the onset of acidosis during maximal effort. Dosed at 0.27–0.3g/kg for athletes 60–70kg.
28g
Maltodextrin
Forms the gel matrix and provides fast carbohydrate pre-fuel. Same 2:1 ratio as Maurten and FLYCARB. Buffers the stomach environment around the bicarb.
12g
Fructose
Paired with maltodextrin at a 2:1 ratio for dual-transporter carb uptake. Lowers blood glucose spike compared to glucose-only formulas.
0.6g
Xanthan Gum
The hydrogel agent. Transforms water into a thick, protective gel that slows bicarb contact with stomach acid — the key to tolerability.
0.2g
Silicon Dioxide
Food-grade anti-caking agent. Keeps the dry powder free-flowing and moisture-free in the bag. Same excipient used in Maurten's formula.
1g
Natural Mango Flavour
Makes it drinkable. A high dose of bicarb gel isn't naturally pleasant — the mango flavour makes it easy to get down fast and keep it down.
View full nutrition facts →

Honest comparison

Same science.
Better everything.

Brand Price / serving Hydrogel protection Ships within the US
Maurten
Sweden
 $17.50 ✓ ✓
bicarb.shop
USA · sale only
 $6.75
12-pack on sale
 ✗ ✓
FLYCARB
UK · import fees
 $6.10
+ shipping from UK
 ✓ ✗
BICARB.NET
Palo Alto, CA
 $5.00
always
 ✓ ✓
71%
cheaper than Maurten per serving — with the same active ingredient, same hydrogel mechanism, and the same dose. The difference is you're not paying for a Swedish brand's marketing budget or transatlantic shipping.

From the field

Real results.
Real athletes.

★★★★★
"I didn't believe it would actually make a difference. Ran a 4:35 in practice two days after my first bag. That's 25 seconds off my mile PR. My legs just didn't die in the third lap the way they usually do."
5:00 → 4:35 mile
Jacob Guhr
HS Sophomore · Track & Field
★★★★★
"I've been riding for years and always plateaued around 3.8 w/kg. Two months on bicarb before hard sessions and intervals, I just tested at 4.2. That's not a rounding error — that's a different category of rider."
3.8 → 4.2 w/kg FTP
Paul Wang
Cyclist · Palo Alto, CA
★★★★★
"Your review could be here. Batch 1 is limited to 100 bags."
Your result here
You?
Order below →

Batch 1 — Palo Alto

In person.
Cash or Venmo.

Batch 1 is 100 bags, distributed in-person in Palo Alto. Drop your name, email, and how many bags you want — we'll coordinate pickup directly.

📍 Palo Alto, CA only
💵 $5/bag — Venmo or cash
📦 100 bags total

We'll reply within 24 hrs to arrange pickup. Payment on delivery — Venmo or cash.

You're in! 🔥

We'll be in touch within 24 hours to arrange your pickup in Palo Alto.

Coming soon
One-click checkout

Shopify integration is in the works — pay by card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay directly on this page. Ship anywhere in the US. Batch 2 onwards.

🛍
In development