BICARB PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS / 03
Bicarb 3.0
The sodium bicarbonate system built to survive the stomach.
Bicarb 3.0 is the official sodium bicarbonate supplement from Bicarb.shop, engineered for endurance athletes who want the performance benefits of bicarbonate loading without turning their stomach into the limiting factor.
Scroll to examine the system
What is Bicarb 3.0?
The research on sodium bicarbonate was never the hard part. The hard part was getting a useful dose beyond the stomach.
Sodium bicarbonate is one of the most researched legal performance aids in sport. It supports the body's natural extracellular buffering system during hard exercise, when hydrogen ions accumulate faster than they can be cleared.
Raw bicarbonate can react quickly with stomach acid, producing the bloating, gas, cramping, and urgent GI distress many athletes associate with bicarb loading. Bicarb 3.0 was designed around that delivery problem.
How Bicarb 3.0 works
THE PROBLEM
Your stomach is acidic. Bicarbonate is a base.
When unprotected bicarbonate meets stomach acid, part of the dose can react before it reaches the intestine. The result can be GI discomfort and less bicarbonate available for absorption.
THE DELIVERY FORMAT
3 mm
Kinetic Gradient Matrix beadlets
During high-speed spheronization, ingredients organize by density to form a mineral-rich outer region around the bicarbonate core. The protection is part of the beadlet's structure, not simply a coating sprayed on afterward.
THE EGG-BOX MODEL
A network designed to hold under acid.
Alginate crosslinks with calcium to form an ordered gel network. In Bicarb 3.0, that network is designed to help the beadlet hold together in gastric conditions, then release its bicarbonate farther downstream.
What bicarbonate does once it is absorbed
More extracellular bicarbonate means more capacity to buffer the rise in acidity that accompanies high-intensity work.
These figures describe the broader sodium bicarbonate literature, not a substitute for your product-specific dose. Use the Bicarb calculator for your recommendation.
Who Bicarb 3.0 is for
Built for sports where the decisive move happens near or above threshold.
Running
400 m through distance racing, cross country, and hard interval sessions
Cycling
Road racing, criteriums, time trials, and repeated high-output efforts
Swimming
Sprint and middle-distance events where acidity limits repeat power
Rowing + hybrid
Rowing, CrossFit, and mixed-modality competition at high intensity
Bicarb 3.0 vs regular baking soda
The active compound may be the same. The delivery experience is not.
| Attribute | Regular baking soda | Bicarb 3.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Active compound | Sodium bicarbonate | Sodium bicarbonate |
| Delivery format | Loose powder | 3 mm matrix beadlets |
| Gastric protection | None | Carbohydrate matrix plus beadlet network |
| Dosing support | Not athlete-specific | Calculator and official protocol |
| Design intent | General food ingredient | High-intensity athlete use |
Bicarb 3.0 vs premium bicarb systems
Premium bicarbonate systems can solve the same delivery problem with different product architectures. The comparison below focuses on format and preparation rather than unsupported performance claims.
| Attribute | Premium hydrogel system | Bicarb 3.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Bicarbonate format | Mini-tablets | 3 mm beadlets |
| Prepared matrix | Carbohydrate hydrogel | Carbohydrate matrix |
| Listed structural agents | Modified starch, hydroxypropyl cellulose, xanthan gum | Alginate-calcium network within the beadlet |
| Preparation | Multi-component bowl protocol | Matrix first, then beadlets |
| Official brand | Maurten | Bicarb.shop |
Maurten format and ingredient details are based on its current official product page. Product formulations can change; always check current packaging.
How to take Bicarb 3.0
Make the routine automatic in training before you depend on it in competition.
Calculate
Use the Bicarb dosage calculator for your recommended packet.
Prepare
Build the carbohydrate matrix, let it set, then fold in the beadlets gently.
Rehearse
Practice timing, food, hydration, and consumption during a key training session.
Frequently asked questions
01What is Bicarb 3.0?
Bicarb 3.0 is a sodium bicarbonate supplement from Bicarb.shop. It uses patent-pending Kinetic Gradient Matrix beadlet technology designed to protect bicarbonate through the stomach so it can release downstream for absorption.
02How does Bicarb 3.0 work?
Each 3 mm beadlet is manufactured with an alginate-calcium network designed to resist stomach acid. The goal is to reduce premature release in the stomach and deliver bicarbonate farther through the digestive system.
03Is Bicarb 3.0 the same as regular baking soda?
The active compound is sodium bicarbonate, but the format is different. Grocery-store baking soda has no athlete-specific delivery system. Bicarb 3.0 pairs measured beadlets with a carbohydrate matrix and an athlete protocol.
04Does Bicarb 3.0 help with lactic acid?
Sodium bicarbonate supports the body's extracellular buffering system. It addresses the rise in acidity associated with hard exercise; lactate itself is not the acid and can also be used as a fuel source.
05How does Bicarb 3.0 compare with premium bicarbonate systems?
Maurten is one example of a premium bicarbonate system. Both products pair bicarbonate with a prepared carbohydrate component. Maurten describes its system as a hydrogel with bicarbonate mini-tablets. Bicarb 3.0 uses a carbohydrate matrix plus 3 mm Kinetic Gradient Matrix beadlets built with an alginate-calcium network. The brands are separate and unaffiliated.
06Who should use Bicarb 3.0?
Bicarb 3.0 is built for trained runners, cyclists, swimmers, rowers, triathletes, and hybrid athletes preparing for high-intensity sessions or competition.
07When should I take Bicarb 3.0?
Use the official Bicarb dosage calculator and how-to guide, then rehearse the complete routine in training before using it in competition.
08Is sodium bicarbonate legal in sport?
Sodium bicarbonate is not identified as a prohibited substance on the current WADA Prohibited List. Athletes remain responsible for checking the rules that apply to their sport and competition.
09Is Bicarb.shop the same as Bicarb 3.0?
Bicarb.shop is the official website and home of the brand. Bicarb 3.0 is the product.
THE OFFICIAL HOME OF BICARB 3.0
Performance,
delivered differently.
Written by Riley Witt, founder of Bicarb and 1:45 800 m runner.