Beta Alanine + Bicarbonate = Synergistic Internal + External Muscle H+ Buffer With Disappointing Real-World Benefits

No matter what this study says, I am pretty sure that the combination of bicarbonate + beta alanine would rule for Tour de France cyclists - at least during the dreaded time-trials.

In a recent study researchers from the Victoria University and the Queensland University of Technology observed that the combination of the carnonsine pre-cursor beta alanine and sodium bicarbonate will elevate the buffering potential of skeletal muscle in eight apparently healthy, recreationally active men (26.2 ± 1.9 year; 79.8 ± 2.11 kg; 179.0 ± 2.2 cm; VO2peak 51.0 ± 2.5 ml/kg/min) by increasing muscle carnosine and blood bicarbonate levels, respectively.

So much for the good news, the bad news however is that the performance increases on a repeated sprint test were non-signficant and the expected additive effects of beta alanine and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) during a 110% cycling capacity test were non-existing.
The trial participants were asked to complete 2 exercise tests, over consecutive days, at the end of each of the four co-supplement periods (see fig.  1).

Figure 1: Design of the study. Each trial consisted of two exercise tests performed over consecutive days. A total of 12 weeks between trials 2 and 3 was implemented to ensure adequate supplement washout time participants randomised to ingest β-alanine during the initial chronic supplementation. MRS Magnetic resonance spectroscopy, RSA repeated sprint ability test, CCT 110 %cycling capacity test. Solid  arrows depict crossover between acute supplementation (Pl and SB). Dotted arrows depict crossover between chronic supplementation (BAl and Pl; Danaher. 2014)

During the double-blind supplementation periods, the subjects consumed capsulated β-alanine (4.8g/day for four weeks, 6.4g/day for two weeks) or the placebo calcium carbonate (CaCO3). To investigate the superimposition of NaHCO3 (baking soda) with β-alanine, the acute administration of NaHCO3 occurred following each of  the 6-week periods of β-alanine and placebo supplementation.

Figure 2: The non-existing increases in peak and average performance with beta alanine and - with the exception of one outlier - bicarbonate supplementation is disappointing; value expressed relative to placebo trial.

This required two trials of either 300 mg/kg body weight sodium bicarbonate or a not wisely chosen "placebo", i.e. CaCO3 (While I have seen this repeatedly, I am asking myself how smart it really si to use calciumcarbonate as a placebo for a bicarbonate, if the carbonate will form HCO3 as soon as it is cleaved from the calcium ion?) , that was administered only once 90 min prior to the exercise bouts of the respective trials and was split into 6 equal doses over the first 50 min of the 90-min pre-exercise period.
Reference:

• Danaher, Jessica et al. "The effect of β-alanine and NaHCO3co-ingestion on buffering capacity and exercise performance with high-intensity exercise in healthy males." Eur J Appl Physiol (2014) 114:1715–1724