Potions for Lab Tests

I’ve just received 8 little bottles of powder ready for my Sports and Exercise Science lab tests that begin in earnest next week.

Bottles for Lab Test

Bottles for Lab test

I’m not 100% sure of whats in them yet. Four are labeled ‘A’ and the other four ‘B’. Either ‘A’ or ‘B’ will have Sodium Bicarbonate in it as the tests are to determine whether or not Sodium Bicarbonate has an effect on endurance performance.

Apparently Sodium Bicarbonate doesn’t taste too nice so the other bottles have an inert substance in them that has also been made to taste pretty disgusting. I have to mix them with water and drink them an hour before my tests. Should be fun!

3 Responses

  1. Avatar forComment Author Jon says:

    Hi Al,

    I see that you have received your potions from Anna (via Sarah and a school playground).

    A couple of things to mention:

    1. Please keep the powders in the bottles and try not to try and guess
    which one is which… no peeking, smelling, tasting, weighing, etc… and definitely no tipping it out of the bottles.

    2. You can add as much or as little water as you like to these powders, just give it a good shake and drink it down. Then fill the bottle again to make sure you get all of the powder out of the bottle.

    3. If you can plan to drink the powder 30 mins before the start of the
    test that seems about perfect. That gives a little time to set up, take some blood measurements and then start the test 30 mins after you are due into the lab (giving an hour between drinking and exercise).

    4. When you have drunk the bottle please note the time you finished
    drinking it on the nice pink post-it note and bring the empty bottle with you to the test.

    5. Finally, these drinks will taste pretty salty, but not much worse than that. As some people may have some gastrointestinal ‘issues’ with bicarb it might be an advantage to visit the bathroom for ‘big business’ prior to taking the drink.

    6. Any effects are acute and will be out of your system after exercise.

    7. Finally, if you could keep the rest of this study away from your blog until I have finished all the testing then that would be good. I don’t want anything to influence other participants prior to testing.

    Cheers, Jon

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Alan Cole

Alan is a Freelance Website Designer, Sports & Exercise Science Lab Technician and full time Dad & husband with far too many hobbies: Triathlete, Swimming, Cycling, Running, MTBing, Surfing, Windsurfing, SUPing, Gardening, Photography.... The list goes on.

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