Welcome to our weekly summary of the latest research updates from the world of sports nutrition. 

Train hard!

Combining Beta-Alanine With Sodium Bicarb Increases Lactic Acid Buffering and Improves Performance 

Our thoughts: Sodium bicarb has the potential to cause gastrointestinal issues, which is the only reason it's not widely adopted by the athletic community. Worth a test, just don't stray too far from a washroom. 

Just How Beneficial is Consuming Carbs When Doing Endurance Training 

This study looked at the impact of carbohydrate intake during exercise on endurance performance by analyzing a whopping 136 studies. The findings suggest that consuming carbohydrates during endurance exercise, especially in less trained individuals participating in longer duration tests, significantly improves performance, with a larger effect seen in time to exhaustion compared to time trials.

Our thoughts: We all know to get carbs into the system on those long runs, but the actual impact when compared to a placebo is mind-blowing   

Do You Know There Are Two Ways to be "in the Zone"?

The scientists in this article theorize that there are two types of "zone" you can be in. One where things feel effortless, and one where you purposefully step up your performance when it matters most. The first is called "flow", whereas the second is called the clutch zone. 

Our thoughts: Taking control over being able to get in the zone is the nirvana for athletes. Only those at the top of their game can achieve the clutch zone - the rest of us can only wonder what it feels like.