Which supplement acts as an acid buffering agent during high-intensity exercise lasting between 60 seconds and 10 minutes?

Sodium bicarbonate is recognized for its role as an acid buffering agent during high-intensity exercise, particularly for activities lasting between 60 seconds and 10 minutes. During such intense physical activity, the body generates lactic acid, contributing to fatigue and the burning sensation in muscles. Sodium bicarbonate works by increasing the pH of the blood, effectively neutralizing excess hydrogen ions that accumulate during exercise. This buffering capacity helps delay the onset of fatigue, allowing athletes to maintain performance levels for a longer duration.

While other supplements like creatine and beta-alanine have their own unique benefits, such as enhancing energy production and reducing muscle acidity respectively, they do not function primarily as acid buffering agents. BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) play a role in muscle recovery and can reduce muscle soreness, but they do not significantly influence acid-base balance during high-intensity exercise as sodium bicarbonate does. Thus, sodium bicarbonate is specifically suited for improving performance in activities that fall within that critical time window of 60 seconds to 10 minutes by mitigating the effects of metabolic acidosis.