Effect of Pre-exercise Sodium Citrate Ingestion on Repeated Sprint Performance in Soccer Players

Abstract

Abstract Kuru, D, Aktitiz, S, Atakan, MM, Köse, MG, Turnagöl, HH, and Koşar, ŞN. Effect of pre-exercise sodium citrate ingestion on repeated sprint performance in soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 38(3): 556–562, 2024—This study aimed to test the hypothesis that sodium citrate (CIT) administered 180 minutes before exercise improves repeated sprint performance in athletes within a field-based setting. Twenty male soccer players (mean ± SD: age = 20.9 ± 2.3 years; body mass [BM] = 73.8 ± 5.9 kg) performed a running-based anaerobic sprint test (RAST) with 0.5 g·kg−1 BM of CIT or with placebo (PLC; NaCl) ingestion 180 minutes before exercise in a randomized, crossover, and double-blind design, with at least 6 days between the trials. Blood samples were collected before exercise and at first, third, fifth, and seventh minutes after exercise to analyze blood pH, bicarbonate, and lactate levels. Gastrointestinal symptoms were also monitored at 30-minute intervals for 180 minutes after CIT and PLC ingestion. Pre-exercise blood pH (CIT = 7.49 ± 0.03 vs. PLC = 7.41 ± 0.02) and bicarbonate (CIT = 30.57 ± 1.33 vs. PLC = 25.25 ± 1.52) increased with CIT compared with PLC (p < 0.001). Blood pH, bicarbonate, and lactate at the first, third, fifth, and seventh minutes after RAST with CIT were higher than PLC (p < 0.05), except for lactate at first minute (p > 0.05). Compared with PLC, CIT ingestion significantly improved minimum power output (p = 0.024) and percentage decrement score (p = 0.023). Gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly higher after CIT ingestion vs. PLC at 30th (p = 0.003) and 60th minutes (p = 0.010). However, there were no significant differences at 90th, 120th, 150th, or 180th minutes (p > 0.05). The ingestion of 0.5 g·kg−1 BM of CIT 180 minutes before exercise is an effective ergogenic aid for improving repeated sprint ability as evidenced by improvements in minimum power output and percentage decrement score.