Sodium bicarbonate is baking soda, an inexpensive salt that neutralizes stomach acid and adds to the body's acid-neutralizing reserve, used for heartburn, high-intensity exercise, and kidney disease. Benefit for high-intensity interval training is best established. Kidney benefit remains contested and evidence for healthy aging uncertain. Main risks are digestive distress at high doses, a meaningful sodium load, and rare serious events from overly alkaline blood or stomach rupture. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Serum bicarbonate (total CO₂) | 24–26 mmol/L | Confirms acid deficit and response |
| Serum potassium | 4.0–4.8 mmol/L | Detects alkalosis-driven potassium loss |
| Serum sodium | 138–142 mmol/L | Detects sodium excess |
| Serum chloride | 100–106 mmol/L | Flags alkalosis pattern |
| Creatinine with eGFR | eGFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m² or stable | Tracks kidney function |
| Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio | <10 mg/g | Early kidney damage marker |
| Serum calcium | 9.2–10.0 mg/dL | Screens for calcium-alkali syndrome |
| Blood pressure | <120/80 mm Hg | Detects sodium-driven rise |
| First-morning urine pH | 6.5–7.0 | Confirms alkali effect; guards against over-alkalinization |
| Body weight | No established target; track change from own baseline | Early sign of fluid retention |
Cadence: Baseline panel before regular use; serum bicarbonate, potassium, and sodium at 2–4 weeks, then every 3 months during the first year, then every 6–12 months; creatinine with eGFR and urine albumin every 6–12 months; home blood pressure and weight weekly during the first month, then monthly.