Question

This isolate-at-home situation is really messing with people! Take JBob, who has fallen hard down the rabbit-hole of e-sports. He has registered to compete in the Social Distancing Champions Cup ($50K first prize! Cha-ching!). To gain a competitive advantage, JBob wants to maximize performance of his flexor pollicis, abductor pollicis, opponens pollicis, and extensor pollicis muscles (that move the thumb, of course!). He has been told by a Canadian exercise physiologist (initials MF) that consuming 50 grams (1/4 cup) of sodium bicarbonate 3 times a day for a week leading up to the competition is completely legal and will provide enhanced muscle performance! (Something about countering the build-up of fatigue-inducing acid waste in and around the thumb muscles during furious gaming action.)

Forgetting about the sodium, consider the impact of absorption of high quantities of bicarbonate on blood chemistry. Specifically, how will JBob’s respiratory/CV systems and his urinary system work to deal with the disturbance to homeostasis this home-brewed PED scheme will cause? Give details of locations, mechanisms, reactions, responses. Can the integrated efforts of body systems save JBob from himself?

Answer 1

When the level of bicarbonate rises in blood it results in increasing the blood ph and the blood becomes alkaline. This is known as alkalosis.
When the blood ph increases the chemoreceptors sends signals to brainstem which causes the respiratory centre in brain to decrease the respiratory rate and depth. This results in increased CO2 in blood resulting in increased carbonic acid formation and H+ ion concentration in blood increases causing a decrease in blood ph back to normal.
The kidneys also senses the increase in bicarbonate in blood. The renal tubules increases H+ reabsorption and bicarbonate is excreted in the urine.
This results in bringing the blood ph back to normal.
The respiratory and kidney buffer system activates to maintain blood ph but increasing blood bicarbonate levels leads to failure of buffer system and results in severe acid base imbalance.