So what is this magical lotion? It’s essentially nothing more than a topical delivery of sodium bicarbonate, more commonly referred to as baking soda. As it turns out, athletes have used baking soda for decades – it’s one of the most extensively studied ergogenic aids out there. But why would baking soda of all things improve performance?

As the first line of defense for preserving acid-base balance during exercise, bicarbonate (HCO3-) is a critically important electrolyte for optimal neuromuscular function. In fact, over 40 years of scientific research (and athlete practice) overwhelmingly supports the benefits of sodium bicarbonate ingestion for improving acid-base balance and enhancing human performance in sport. Despite the clear evidence for performance benefits, gastrointestinal distress is a common side effect. This makes sodium bicarbonate ingestion impractical for most athletes to use regularly. PR Lotion is the first and only topical lotion to deliver sodium bicarbonate directly through the skin, circumventing the limitations at the gut. Delivery timescales are esimates in working days; Public Holidays, Saturday's and Sunday's are NOT classed as working days. Results: PR Lotion resulted in a rise in pH of 0.13 ± 0.04 units ( p< 0.05), which translates to a 28% reduction in [H +]. Increases in serum pH were smaller (∼9%) yet consistent ( p< 0.05). In contrast, placebo time control pH tended to decrease ( p= 0.08). The effect of PR Lotion on pH tended to correlate with the dose per kg body weight of each individual ( r= 0.70, p = 0.08). In the short intensity series, blood lactate and pH were measured and compared 14 times. In the long intensity session, HR and RPE were each measured and compared five times. Each one of these time points is an opportunity to find a P value <0.05 or a significant difference between the treatment and placebo. As I’ve written before, when a study reports results of multiple outcomes and multiple exposures, it increases the probability that at least some of those results may be statistically significant even though there is no underlying effect. Brad Wilkins. Ph.D. is VP of Science and Innovation at Amp Human and Chairman of Amp Human's Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Wilkins has over 25 years of research experience with over 40 published scientific articles and patents. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon and trained as a post-doctoral fellow at the Mayo Clinic. As an accomplished scientist at Nike, he founded the Nike+ Sport Performance Laboratory, and led the scientific team in Nike’s quest to break the two-hour marathon barrier (Breaking2). You can learn more about him and the rest of our Scientific Advisory Board members here.There are two important benefits of increased buffering with sodium bicarbonate delivery through PR Lotion. First, enhanced buffering capacity to limit the negative impact of rapid acid production in the muscle. This can diminish the progression of fatigue during high intensity training session and competitions, thereby enabling high quality training and maintenance of performance during competition. Second, PR Lotion can reduce the sensation of post-exercise or delayed onset muscle soreness. That is, sodium bicarbonate may alleviate post exercise inflammation and edema or swelling following intense training, allowing athletes to recover more effectively and increase “readiness” for subsequent training sessions. Combined, PR Lotion can be an important tool to enhance the quality of training loads, allow effective recovery between training sessions, and enable the maintenance of desired performance outcomes.

McNaughton, L.R., J. Siegler, and A. Midgley, Ergogenic effects of sodium bicarbonate. Curr Sports Med Rep, 2008. 7(4): p. 230-6. Siegler, J.C., et al., Mechanistic Insights into the Efficacy of Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation to Improve Athletic Performance. Sports Med Open, 2016. 2(1): p. 41. As alluded to, this actually wasn’t the first study testing the benefits of PR Lotion. The 2021 trial references another from 2018, which, according to a blog post from the company’s manufacturers, is awaiting submission for publication. However, results from this trial and two related poster presentations are summarized in the blog post, so let’s look at what they found. Comments containing language or concepts that could be deemed offensive will be deleted. Note this may include abusive, threatening, pornographic, offensive, misleading or libelous language. Studies suggest that baking soda indeed offers a small benefit during hard exercise bouts lasting between about one and ten minutes, although the results are inconsistent. So why doesn’t everyone looking for an edge spike their water bottles with Arm & Hammer before a competition? Because of course, there’s a catch: many people using it experience gastrointestinal side effects which can limit its efficacy. In other words, cramping, vomiting, or diarrhea can more than offset any benefits from baking soda. But delivering the baking soda through the skin bypasses the GI tract and limits these adverse effects. In fact, the 2021 PR Lotion study described above notes that no side effects were reported by participants. Earlier EvidenceSince then, I apply Amp Human lotion before every leg workout. For me, it works. Workouts are easier (no they’re not. they’re always hard) and recovery time is cut down too. I have not tried it on my upper body for arms/chest days yet, but I’m anxious to give it a go. Does Bicarb Lotion Actually Work? Studies Say So. The study found a significant difference (P = 0.009) between the PR and control lotion in the number of high-intensity intervals completed before exhaustion. Participants completed an average of just under 14 intervals when using the control lotion compared to 17 intervals with PR Lotion, which works out to about a 20% improvement using PR Lotion vs the control lotion. (Nota bene: this study is not published in a peer-reviewed journal.) Why does it work (if it works)? PR Lotion is a tool for the human body that delivers bicarbonate directly to your hardest working muscle groups. Bicarbonate is what your body naturally produces to neutralize acid, battle fatigue and reduce soreness. More bicarbonate means the ability to do more–more work, more results and more days doing what you love. The raw data supporting the conclusion of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation. Ethics statement

Sodium bicarbonate is easily dissolved in water and water-soluble molecules cannot easily penetrate the skins defenses. The innovative technology in PR Lotion creates a temporarily pathway between skin cells, without the use of harsh solvents, while maintaining the integrity of the skin. At the same time, the sodium bicarbonate is encapsulated within fatty acid salts (which also naturally occur in the body) to aid in transport through the skin. The combination of creating a temporary pathway between skin cells and the encapsulation of the water-soluble sodium bicarbonate, allows absorption through the skin and into the body’s tissues and blood stream. When reviewing products, I always try to have an open mind and no preconceived notions of whether it's going to be any good or not. With the PR Lotion, I couldn't help but feel that it had the potential to be snake oil with some rather large claims and marketing jargon such as it being the 'pro's secret weapon'. However, having used it for the second half of the race season, it has impressed me, with too many good power numbers to just be a coincidence. What is it? Comments that harass other posters will be deleted. Please be respectful toward other contributors.I've delved into this a bit deeper and there are plenty of studies to suggest that taking around 0.3g per kg 60-180 minutes before high-intensity exercise can enhance performance by decreasing the acidity of working muscles by buffering its production. In fact, professional athletes have been using this legal supplement since the 1970s.