Alkaline Buffer
Monitor your body’s alkaline response. A higher alkaline buffer score confirms your dietary intake is helping balance dietary acidity.
What is an Alkaline Buffer?
Not all calories are created equal. When you choose plant-based powerhouses, you're providing your body with alkaline-producing minerals. Alkaline buffers like bicarbonate act as your internal 'chemical sponge,' soaking up excess acid to keep your blood levels perfectly steady.
Why are Alkaline Buffers found in the urine?
Normally, the kidneys hoard bicarbonate. They filter about 4,000 to 5,000 mmol of bicarbonate every day, and in a healthy state, and reabsorb 99.9% of it back into the blood.
Why track your Alkaline Buffer?
If your diet is chronically acidic and lacks enough alkalizing minerals, your body may actually break down muscle tissue to release glutamine, which the kidneys use to neutralize acid. Athletes often look to low-acid diets and track their PRAL score (Potential Renal Acid Load). By tracking your body’s response to a plant-based shift, you’re looking for that sign that you're hitting the leafy green jackpot!
But for those ready to push the redline, there’s 'Soda Loading.' This isn't about soft drinks; it's a strategic hit of sodium bicarbonate used by elite athletes to buffer lactic acid, delay the burn, and sprint past the finish line when everyone else is hitting the wall.
While sodium bicarbonate loading can be a game changer for your PRs, it comes with a "handle with care" label. If you jump in too fast or get the timing wrong, your body might stage a protest. That is why it is essential to get the balance just right.
Master your internal environment. Use BodyCheck to track this essential compound and optimize your pH for peak metabolic efficiency