The Effect of Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation on Electromyographic Muscle Activity in Healthy, Physically Active Individuals: A Systematic Review.

Aim: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on electromyographic (EMG) muscle activity in healthy, physically active individuals.

Methods: A systematic review of cross-sectional studies, crossover studies and randomized controlled trials was performed to investigate the effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on EMG muscle activity in healthy, physically active individuals. Potentially eligible for the systematic review were identified through searches conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Direct and Scopus, considering publications from January 1980 to August 2019. The terms used in the search were: sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO, alkalosis, alkaloses, electromyography, surface electromyography, electromyographies, electromyogram and EMG. Two independent assessors extracted data from the selected articles. Bias analysis was conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and methodological quality was appraised using a checklist created based on the guidelines of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials and the International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology.

Results: A total of 67 studies were retrieved and seven were included in this review. Only two studies showed significant differences in muscle activity after sodium bicarbonate supplementation. The different EMG signal capturing, processing, and analysis methods used constitute an important limitation to the comparative analyses of the results reported in the studies selected for the present review.

Conclusion: The results found do not allow us to affirm whether EMG may or may not be a safe tool to assess the effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on muscle activity.