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There are hundreds of sports drinks on the market claiming to increase you athletic performance.  For example, Gatorade tells you that you can be like Mike if you drink their drink.  Most of these claims fall flat, but adding a common kitchen item might not.

Scientists at the National Taiwan College of Physical Education conducted a small study to test whether a tiny amount of sodium bicarbonate — more commonly known as baking soda – helped tennis players do more than just take the smell out of their shoes. The study that was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that adding sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) helped to prevent fatigue in tennis players.

Another study from Loughborough University gave baking soda to nine swimmers, finding that eight of them reduced their time in a 200 meter race by an average of 1.5 seconds.  “At the last Olympics, the top four swimmers in the men’s 200 meter freestyle were separated by just 1.4 seconds,” lead researcher Jonathan Folland said. “So, in theory, it could be the difference between winning a medal and not.

Are there side effects?

The most common side effects associated with taking baking soda are indigestion and diarrhea, which could really hinder your performance.

How does it work and should you take baking soda before you exercise?

Taking baking soda increases your pH in your body making it more alkaline, this is responsible for the increase in athletic performance that some experience.  Keeping your body at a pH between 7.35 and 7.45 is ideal, but most of us fall much below that making our bodies more acidic.  There are better ways to lower your acidity than taking baking soda.  That being said, if you are an elite athlete competing in an event you may want to consider trying baking soda, but don’t try it on race day for the first time.

For more information about how we treat sports injuries in our office check out our sports injury page.

In recent years the level of competition in high school athletics has dramatically increased and with this new level of competition has come an increase in the number of injuries.  Injuries are not only painful but can be demoralizing causing a negative impact on grades, attitude, health and potential scholarships.  Once an injury has occurred there is a lot we can do to rehabilitate the athlete, but they will most likely be out of the game for at least four to six weeks, which is an eternity for a high school athlete.

For years chiropractic has been used by college and professional teams to not only treat injuries but to keep athletes at their peak in order to prevent injuries.  The following is a list of a few athletes who use Chiropractic: all 32 NFL teams, most NBA and NHL teams, Tiger woods, Michael Jordan, Maurice Jones (video), Barry Bonds, Joe Montana, Wade Boggs, Mark McGuire, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Charles Barkley, Evander Holyfield, John Smoltz, Trevor Hoffman, Irving Fryar, Fred Funk, Jose Canseco, Dan O’Brien (video) and the U.S. Olympic Team all use chiropractic care.

Chiropractic has been shown to increase athletic performance and prevent injuries.  High school athletes face increasing demands on their bodies along with a developing skeletons, which make them more susceptible to injuries. Chiropractic can help these athletes as they develop by correcting any spinal misalignment and balancing muscle function.

We have helped a number of high school athletes with injuries they have sustained and helped them prevent injuries in the future.  We have an Athletic Trainer on staff that has worked with the majority of IU teams, to learn more about her click here.

To learn more about the sports injuries we treat at our office click here.

The minimalist footwear or no-wear movement is gaining ground amongst running at great speed.  Since the 70′s we have been using the best science we have to create the most advanced shoes imaginable, but the level of injuries has not diminished, if anything injuries have increased.  In this video from Nature, Havard Professor Daniel Lieberman demonstrates the benefits of barefoot running.  He himself is a barefoot running and can be seen in the video running outside barefoot in what appears to be the winter.

Not all of us are willing to chuck the shoes and head out sans shoes.  If your interested in running barefoot, but worry about the debris in your neighborhood you should look into the Vibram Five Fingers which provide the closest you can come to running barefoot, while still protecting your feet.  Also, another great resource for these unique shoes is www.birthdayshoes.com.

For more information about sports injuries, check out our sports injury page.

A patient introduced me to a unique type of footwear.  In this video I discuss the Vibram Five Fingers and barefoot running.

“Chiropractic care has been instrumental in my life, both on and off the field, and I am excited to share this with the American public,” says Rice.

Chiropractic is a part of nearly every profession sports team and the best athletes in the world rely on chiropractic care to give them an edge and keep their bodies in tip-top shape.