Περιγραφή
Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero – The Sodium Bicarbonate Supplement Built for Endurance
3500 mg of sodium bicarbonate, combined with over 5000 mg of 10 performance salts – four forms of sodium, three forms of magnesium and three forms of calcium – with zero sugar and zero carbohydrates. A sodium bicarbonate supplement that buffers lactic acid, keeps you hydrated and lets you hold your pace deeper into the race.
Who is Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero for?
What makes this sodium bicarbonate supplement different
- 3500 mg sodium bicarbonate per sachet
- 1500 mg sodium triphosphate – endurance phosphate salt
- Over 5000 mg of 10 types of salts
- 4 forms of sodium
- 3 forms of magnesium (121 mg elemental)
- 3 forms of calcium (272.5 mg elemental)
- Potassium citrate – 396 mg potassium
- Zero carbohydrates, zero sugar
- Mixes with any drink you already use
- Lemon flavour, 20 sachets per box
Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero is the fourth product in the SCN™ Lactate Buffering series (and not the last 😏), joining Pre-Lactate Training Activator, Race Max Pro and Carbo⁶-Lytes¹¹. SCN™ has worked exclusively with professional and high-level endurance athletes – as a clinic since 2011 and as a supplement brand since 2015 – and this formula was built from what those athletes actually need in the final third of a race: more buffering capacity, more electrolytes and no extra sugar.
Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero – What it is
Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero is a sodium bicarbonate supplement that delivers 3500 mg of sodium bicarbonate together with a complete set of endurance-enhancing salts. The result is a product that keeps the athlete hydrated through the most demanding sessions while improving endurance and performance and helping buffer the lactic acid that forces you to slow down.
In simple words: the most complete salt and bicarbonate formula we have ever made.
How sodium bicarbonate works – more oxygen into your cells
- Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) is a mildly alkaline salt made of sodium and bicarbonate ions.
- It helps clear acid out of working muscle cells, restoring an optimal pH. This may decrease fatigue and increase performance.
- It may improve performance in the later stages of high-intensity exercise, where acid build-up is greatest.
- It likely improves the body’s ability to perform during interval training, which benefits performance in many sports.
- It may improve muscle coordination and increase strength, including the number of heavy repetitions you can complete.
How pH affects exercise performance
pH is the scale used to grade how acidic or alkaline a solution is. A pH of 7.0 is neutral; lower is acidic and higher is alkaline. Human blood normally sits around 7.4 and muscle cells around 7.0, and you perform best when your acid–alkaline balance stays close to those targets.
High-intensity (anaerobic) exercise disrupts this balance. When your muscles’ demand for oxygen exceeds supply, they switch to the anaerobic pathway, which produces lactic acid. Too much acid pushes muscle pH below the optimal 7.0, limits energy production and reduces the muscles’ ability to contract. Both effects lead to fatigue and a drop in performance.
How sodium bicarbonate helps maintain pH
Sodium bicarbonate has an alkaline pH of 8.4 and raises blood bicarbonate and blood pH slightly. A higher blood pH allows acid to move out of muscle cells and into the bloodstream, returning muscle pH toward 7.0 so the muscles can keep contracting and producing energy. Scientists believe this is the primary mechanism by which sodium bicarbonate helps you exercise harder, faster or for longer.
What the research shows
Sodium bicarbonate is one of the most studied ergogenic supplements in sports science, and the International Olympic Committee consensus lists it among the few supplements with direct performance benefits backed by good to strong evidence.
- High-intensity efforts of 1–7 minutes involving large muscle groups benefit most, with improvements concentrated near the end of the effort – for example, a 1.5-second gain over the last 1000 m of a 2000 m rowing test. Results are similar in cycling, sprinting, swimming and team sports.
- Interval training. Studies of repeated intense efforts – running, cycling, rowing, swimming, Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit – found that sodium bicarbonate helped prevent decreases in performance, with overall improvements of 1.7–8%. Benefits have been reported in judo, swimming, boxing and tennis.
- Training adaptation. Participants who took sodium bicarbonate during an 8-week interval-training programme had increased their cycling time to exhaustion by 133% by the end of the study.
- Strength. Experienced weightlifters who took sodium bicarbonate 60 minutes before training completed 6 more squats in their first set.
- Coordination and skill. Sodium bicarbonate helped tennis players maintain swing accuracy and boxers maintain punch accuracy late in the session, suggesting a benefit beyond the muscle itself.
Benefits vary from person to person and depend on the type of activity, personal tolerance and training level. Testing your personal timing in training before race day is always recommended.
The buffering synergy: how the mineral ions work with sodium bicarbonate
Most sodium bicarbonate supplements give you bicarbonate alone. Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero pairs it with citrate, phosphate, potassium, calcium and magnesium salts – and the science of acid–base balance explains why that combination makes sense.
- Strong ion difference – every strong cation counts. Blood pH is governed largely by the “strong ion difference” (SID): the balance between strong cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) and strong anions (mainly Cl⁻ and lactate). Raising SID raises pH and bicarbonate. Researchers propose that both sodium bicarbonate and sodium citrate induce alkalosis through this mechanism once their ions enter the circulation. Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero supplies four strong cations – sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium – bound to weak or metabolisable anions, so the whole formula pushes in the same alkalising direction as the bicarbonate itself, rather than diluting it with chloride.
- Citrate becomes bicarbonate – and extends the window. Sodium citrate and potassium citrate dissociate rapidly, and the citrate is metabolised by the liver, further contributing to buffering by increasing blood bicarbonate. Head-to-head studies show that recommended doses of sodium citrate and sodium bicarbonate produce a similar peak in blood bicarbonate (around +7–8 mmol/L) but with a different time course: bicarbonate peaks earlier, citrate later and for longer. In one formula, that means a faster initial rise from the bicarbonate and a longer, flatter plateau from the citrate salts – a wider buffering window across a long training session or race.
- Sodium phosphate – a second, independent pathway. Sodium phosphate loading has its own research history in cyclists and runners, increasing aerobic capacity, raising 2,3-DPG (which helps red blood cells release oxygen to muscle) and delaying exhaustion. It works alongside bicarbonate rather than competing with it, so you get two complementary endurance mechanisms in one sachet.
- Co-ingestion improves tolerance. The best-documented way to reduce the stomach discomfort that puts athletes off sodium bicarbonate is to take it together with other nutrients and fluid rather than alone. In the landmark Carr et al. protocol comparison, sodium bicarbonate co-ingested with food produced the highest blood bicarbonate and the lowest incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero is designed to be mixed into the drink you already use, so the bicarbonate never arrives in your stomach on its own.
- Electrolyte replacement at the same time. Bicarbonate does not replace what you lose in sweat. The potassium, calcium and magnesium in Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero support normal muscle function and electrolyte balance (approved EU health claims for these minerals), so the formula hydrates while it buffers.
What the evidence does and does not say: studies support that citrate salts add to and prolong the bicarbonate response, that phosphate works through an independent pathway, and that co-ingestion improves tolerance. No study has yet shown that calcium or magnesium ions by themselves speed up the absorption of sodium bicarbonate – their role here is to contribute to strong ion difference and to replace sweat losses.
Every ingredient in Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero, explained
Διττανθρακικό νάτριο
The core of the formula and the most studied extracellular buffer in sports nutrition. Provides 945 mg of sodium per sachet. Raises blood bicarbonate and pH so that hydrogen ions can leave the muscle faster during high-intensity work.
Sodium triphosphate
Sodium phosphate is a supplement designed to increase endurance. It has been shown to support lung capacity, resulting in better breathing rates and more oxygen intake during exercise. Provides 450 mg of sodium.
How sodium phosphate helps endurance athletes
- Supports performance in key activities such as racing, intervals and sprinting.
- Helps manage muscle acidity during intense exercise.
- May help with cramping and muscle discomfort during racing and workouts.
- Increases aerobic capacity by increasing the oxygen available to muscles.
- Increases time to exhaustion in endurance exercise such as cycling or running.
- Helps limit muscle tissue breakdown – important if you do not get enough rest between workouts.
Sodium phosphate + sodium bicarbonate. Sodium phosphate is different from sodium bicarbonate – it carries the same ionic charge as phosphoric acid and works through a separate pathway to increase aerobic capacity. Combining the two gives you a powerful pair of ingredients working together to maximise endurance and sport performance.
Χλωριούχο νάτριο
The primary electrolyte lost in sweat. 468 mg of sodium per sachet supports fluid retention and plasma volume so that the bicarbonate and the rest of the formula arrive in a well-hydrated athlete.
Κιτρικό κάλιο
Delivers 396 mg of potassium (20% NRV) – the main intracellular electrolyte – together with citrate, which is metabolised to bicarbonate. Potassium contributes to normal muscle function and the normal functioning of the nervous system.
Κιτρικό νάτριο
A second, slower-acting alkalising agent. Sodium citrate dissociates into sodium and citrate ions, and the citrate is converted to bicarbonate in the liver, extending the buffering window beyond that of sodium bicarbonate alone. Provides 117.75 mg of sodium.
Πυρουβικό ασβέστιο
Calcium pyruvate is a natural compound made in our bodies that contributes to metabolism and the digestion of carbohydrates. Pyruvate is the compound that starts the Krebs cycle, by which the body makes adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – energy – during aerobic respiration, the kind that occurs in the presence of oxygen during running, cycling and jogging. Calcium pyruvate supports endurance athletes whose bodies are constantly turning over ATP to sustain long bouts of exercise, and it increases energy while reducing fatigue. Provides 77.5 mg of calcium (9.7% NRV).
Pyruvate – pure energy
Pyruvate is the output of the anaerobic metabolism of glucose known as glycolysis: one molecule of glucose breaks down into two molecules of pyruvate, which are then used to provide further energy.
- Provides energy via the Krebs cycle
- Contributes to important metabolic reactions: glucose ⇔ alanine cycle · pyruvate ⇒ acetyl-CoA · pyruvate ⇒ oxaloacetate · pyruvate ⇔ lactate
- Βελτιώνει την αθλητική αντοχή
- Spares glycogen stores
Διγλυκινικό ασβέστιο
A chelated, highly bioavailable form of calcium bound to the amino acid glycine. Provides 100 mg of calcium (12.5% NRV). Calcium contributes to normal muscle function and normal energy-yielding metabolism.
Γλυκεροφωσφορικό ασβέστιο
Supplies both calcium (95 mg, 11.9% NRV) and a second phosphate source. Glycerophosphate is well tolerated and complements the sodium triphosphate in the endurance phosphate pathway.
Γλυκονικό μαγνήσιο
A gentle organic magnesium salt providing 16 mg of magnesium (4.2% NRV). Magnesium contributes to electrolyte balance, normal muscle function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Κιτρικό μαγνήσιο
Provides 45 mg of magnesium (12% NRV) together with citrate, adding a third metabolisable anion to the buffering pool. Well absorbed and widely used in sports hydration.
Διγλυκινικό μαγνήσιο
The chelated form of magnesium with the best gastrointestinal tolerance. Provides 60 mg of magnesium (16% NRV). Chosen so that the total magnesium dose of 121 mg can be delivered without the laxative effect common to single-form magnesium products.
Τι περιέχει το Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero;
Θρεπτικά συστατικά ανά συνιστώμενη ημερήσια δόση:
| Συστατικό | Per 1 sachet (12 g) | %NRV* |
|---|---|---|
| Διττανθρακικό νάτριο of which sodium |
3500 mg 945 mg |
|
| Sodium triphosphate of which sodium |
1500 mg 450 mg |
|
| Χλωριούχο νάτριο of which sodium |
1200 mg 468 mg |
|
| Κιτρικό κάλιο of which potassium |
1100 mg 396 mg |
20% |
| Κιτρικό νάτριο of which sodium |
500 mg 117.75 mg |
|
| Πυρουβικό ασβέστιο of which calcium |
500 mg 77.5 mg |
9.7% |
| Διγλυκινικό ασβέστιο of which calcium |
500 mg 100 mg |
12.5% |
| Γλυκεροφωσφορικό ασβέστιο of which calcium |
500 mg 95 mg |
11.9% |
| Ολικό ασβέστιο | 272.5 mg | 34% |
| Γλυκονικό μαγνήσιο of which magnesium |
300 mg 16 mg |
4.2% |
| Κιτρικό μαγνήσιο of which magnesium |
300 mg 45 mg |
12% |
| Διγλυκινικό μαγνήσιο of which magnesium |
300 mg 60 mg |
16% |
| Ολικό μαγνήσιο | 121 mg | 32% |
*NRV – Nutrient Reference Value
Συστατικά: Διττανθρακικό νάτριο, τριφωσφορικό νάτριο, χλωριούχο νάτριο, κιτρικό κάλιο, άρωμα, κιτρικό νάτριο, πυροσταφυλικό ασβέστιο, δισγλυκινικό ασβέστιο, γλυκεροφωσφορικό ασβέστιο, αντιπηκτικό (άλατα λιπαρών οξέων μαγνησίου), γλυκονικό μαγνήσιο, κιτρικό μαγνήσιο, δισγλυκινικό μαγνήσιο, αντιπηκτικό (διοξείδιο του πυριτίου), γλυκαντικά (σουκραλόζη, γλυκοζίτες στεβιόλης από Στέβια).
How to use Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero
Προτεινόμενη χρήση: Mix 1 sachet (12 g) in 250 ml of room-temperature water, or into the pre-workout, electrolyte or carbohydrate drink you already use. Consume before and during training.
Recommended daily dose: 12 g (1 sachet) · Μέγιστη ημερήσια δόση: 24 g (2 sachets)
Product information
- Σερβίρισμα: 1 sachet of 12 g
- Μερίδες ανά δοχείο: 20
- Καθαρό βάρος: 260 g
- Γεύση: Λεμόνι
- Sugar / carbohydrates: Zero
Frequently asked questions
How much sodium bicarbonate is in each sachet, and is it enough?
Each sachet contains 3500 mg of sodium bicarbonate plus citrate salts that are converted to bicarbonate in the body. Research protocols use 200–400 mg per kg of body weight, so athletes aiming for a full loading dose can use the maximum of 2 sachets, while 1 sachet mixed into a daily training drink gives a well-tolerated, repeatable buffering and hydration dose. We recommend starting with 1 sachet and testing in training.
Will it upset my stomach like plain baking soda?
Plain sodium bicarbonate in water is the protocol most likely to cause bloating. Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero is designed to be co-ingested – mixed into the drink you already use, sipped over time, alongside carbohydrate – which is exactly the approach research has shown reduces gastrointestinal symptoms. The chelated (bisglycinate) forms of calcium and magnesium were also chosen for their gut tolerance.
Why combine bicarbonate with citrate, phosphate, calcium and magnesium?
Because acid–base balance in the blood depends on the overall strong ion difference, not bicarbonate alone. Citrate salts add to and prolong the bicarbonate response, sodium phosphate works through an independent endurance pathway, and the potassium, calcium and magnesium replace what you lose in sweat. See the “buffering synergy” section above for the full explanation.
Can I take it with my carbohydrate drink or gels?
Yes – that is how it was designed. Bicarb-Lytes¹⁰ Zero contains zero carbohydrates, so it adds buffering and electrolytes to any fuelling plan without changing your carbohydrate intake.
When should I take it before a race?
Most athletes do best starting 90–120 minutes before the start, finishing the sachet during the warm-up. Blood bicarbonate stays elevated for 3–4 hours, so it also covers long sessions. Try it in training first to find your personal timing.
Is it suitable for drug-tested athletes?
Sodium bicarbonate and the mineral salts in this formula are permitted, widely studied ergogenic ingredients. All SCN™ products are manufactured as 100% doping-free and cross-contamination safe.
Scientific references
- Urwin CS, Snow RJ, Condo D, et al. A Comparison of Sodium Citrate and Sodium Bicarbonate Ingestion: Blood Alkalosis and Gastrointestinal Symptoms. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2022;33(1):1–10.
- Carr AJ, Slater GJ, Gore CJ, Dawson B, Burke LM. Effect of sodium bicarbonate on [HCO₃⁻], pH, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2011;21(3):189–194.
- Urwin CS, Snow RJ, Orellana L, et al. Does varying the ingestion period of sodium citrate influence blood alkalosis and gastrointestinal symptoms? PLoS One. 2021;16(5):e0251808.
- Siegler JC, Marshall PWM, Bishop D, Shaw G, Green S. Mechanistic Insights into the Efficacy of Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation to Improve Athletic Performance. Sports Med Open. 2016;2:41.
- Durkalec-Michalski K, et al. The interplay between bicarbonate kinetics and gastrointestinal upset on ergogenic potential after sodium bicarbonate intake: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Sci Rep. 2023;13.
- Jiang FL, et al. Effects of Enteric-Coated Formulation of Sodium Bicarbonate on Bicarbonate Absorption and Gastrointestinal Discomfort. Nutrients. 2024;16(5):744.
- Grgic J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: sodium bicarbonate and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18:61.
- Australian Institute of Sport. Sodium Bicarbonate Fact Sheet (Carr AJ, updated 2025).
- Kreider RB, et al. Effects of phosphate loading on metabolic and myocardial responses to maximal and endurance exercise. Int J Sport Nutr. 1992;2(1):20–47.
- Cade R, et al. Effects of phosphate loading on 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and maximal oxygen uptake. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1984;16(3):263–268.
- Kellum JA. Determinants of blood pH in health and disease. Crit Care. 2000;4:6–14.
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