The acid-base balance is directly influenced by a wide variety of factors: your diet, your lifestyle, your stress levels, infections, pollution, etc. However, your overall health depends on your body's ability to maintain this acid-base balance, which is constantly being disrupted, particularly by modern diets, which are highly acidifying. This balance is an integral part of what is known as homeostasis, i.e. the body's ability to maintain a stable internal state despite external aggressions. This means that if one organ weakens, the others adjust their functioning to preserve the overall balance and ensure that your body's essential functions continue to work properly.
In this article, Benoît Nave, Baouw nutritionist and holder of a European University Diploma in Micronutrition, Nutrition, Prevention and Health, explains the concept of acid-base balance and gives you his advice on how to maintain it, while highlighting the benefits for athletes.
What is acid-base balance?
Acid-base balance is the balance between the body's acidity and alkalinity levels. Determined by the body's pH levels (blood pH, urine pH), this balance, which falls within a fairly narrow range, is directly influenced by our lifestyle. And at Baouw, when we say ‘lifestyle’, we mean “diet” and ‘exercise’! These two concepts, which we promote on a daily basis and which determine the composition of our recipes, our energy purees and protein paste, play a role, at their own level, in this balancing act that the body must perform. When an imbalance occurs, the functioning of cells and tissues can be affected.
In concrete terms, an optimal acid-base balance results in:
- a blood pH just above 7 (between 7.32 and 7.42)
- a urinary pH between 6.5 and 7.2
How can you adapt your diet to achieve a healthy acid-base balance?
To ensure your body maintains a healthy acid-alkaline balance, you should prioritise alkalising foods:
- mostly fruit and vegetables (with a few rare exceptions such as plums)
- aromatic herbs
- dried fruit
- spices
That is why Baouw products, developed from our expertise in sports nutrition, are full of them. Conversely, the most acidifying foods should be avoided if you want to help your body maintain a good acid-base balance. So, cut down on refined sugars, processed foods and meat, especially red meat. Your performance will thank you for it!
It is also to preserve your acid-base balance that we have chosen not to include cereals in our energy bars nor in their protein version. Tes Baouw are alkaline to ‘buffer’ the acidification of the body inevitably induced by physical exertion. Because yes, it's a fact, the acid-base balance is disrupted by practising sport.
It should be noted that the glycaemic index has no bearing on the profile of foods. To assess their acidifying or alkalising effect, it is the PRAL index (Potential Renal Acid Load) which needs to be checked, as it is an excellent indicator: the more negative it is, the more alkalising the food is. And that's what we want!
What are the risks of an acid-base imbalance?
When the acid-base balance is no longer maintained, two scenarios can occur. The body can tip into acidosis (too much acidity) or alkalosis (too many bases), both of which disrupt your cells and tire your body.
In this day and age, where processed foods are everywhere and refined sugars are hidden in industrial preparations with ingredient lists as long as your arm, it is most often acidosis that our bodies are faced with. The main risk? Demineralisation. When you are in a constant state of acidosis, your body will draw on its minerals such as magnésium, calcium, potassium, which are neutralising molecules.
The risk is even greater for athletes, as mineral balance is important during muscle contraction. A body in a state of acidosis is more prone to developing undesirable symptoms such as cramps, muscle spasms and fatigue.
How can we overcome acidosis, in addition to rebalancing our diet?
To measure your acid-base balance and determine whether your body is in a state of acidosis, you need to test your urine in the morning with pH paper (easy to use and readily available at pharmacies). If it is acidic, the first thing to do is try to change your diet. Switching to meals that favour alkaline ingredients, or at least maintain a good acid-base balance, will help your body restore everything!
It should also be noted that if the pH is between 5.5 and 6, acidity can be limited by using mineral salts in the form of citrates, which also provide electrolytes: a good boost for your body.
Acid-base balance and sport: how to reconcile the two?
Please note that there is a difference between different types of sport, particularly in terms of intensity. It is important to understand that intensive exercise has an acidifying effect. On the other hand, gentle, moderate exercise promotes alkalisation. Basically, if you are resuming running gently, it is not your running sessions that will affect your acid-base balance (however, we strongly encourage you to take an interest in the concept of chrononutrition!). On the other hand, if you go trail running every weekend, it is important that you pay attention to our famous balance!
Yes, we know, you're probably thinking, ‘That's all well and good, but I'm not going to limit my exercise regime, am I?’ Indeed, if you do your favourite physical activity intensively, you can buffer its impact on your acid-base balance by avoiding consuming acidifying products. To stay hydrated, it's a good idea to choose an alkalising bicarbonate water (such as Saint-Yorre). And to limit any potential intestinal problems you may experience when drinking a fizzy drink, don't hesitate to alternate between water and energy gels during training to give yourself the boost you need for a worthwhile session!
Sport, pleasure and the right acid-base balance: the Baouw vision
And because at Baouw, we focus on good food rather than chemistry, our sports snacks, made from fruit, vegetables, nuts, plants and spices, are designed to maintain your acid-base balance. You can therefore use them during the recovery phase of your training. And if you want to treat yourself while respecting your body when you're feeling peckish, they'll be there for you in all circumstances!
Identifying the highs and lows of acid-base balance
The champions of acid-base balance
- banana, carrot, fennel, celery, avocado
- green vegetables
- almonds
- raisins, dried figs
- vegetable proteins (tofu, pulses)
- quinoa
- pomme de terre et sweet potato, the athlete's ally!
- vegetable oils (sesame, olive, rapeseed, walnut, etc.)
- spices
- waters rich in magnesium, calcium and potassium
Everyday friends
- alkalising red wine, rather than acidifying beer
- green tea rather than black tea
- spices and herbs for seasoning rather than salt or sugar (go heavy on thyme, coriander, mint, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, etc.)
- raisins rather than peanuts
The enemies of your pH balance
- tomatoes, spinach (do not avoid them, but compensate with other more alkalising foods)
- sweetened soft drinks
- yoghurt and cottage cheese
- cold cuts
- ketchup and mayonnaise
- tobacco
SPORT, your ALLY In this balancing act
Especially when practised outdoors, gentle or moderate exercise helps restore our body's acid-base balance. How can it help us? Through its diuretic effects and our breathing. It helps us combat stress, which plays an important role in the loss of our acid-base balance.
More specifically, to maintain homeostasis, the body mobilises several key organs to regulate balance:
- The lungs: by eliminating CO₂ produced by metabolism, they reduce blood acidity. During sports training, faster breathing increases CO₂ elimination, which limits excess acids.
- The kidneys: they enable excess acids or bases to be eliminated through urine. They play a slower but no less essential role in restoring long-term balance.
- Buffer systems: it is the bicarbonate/carbonic acid system (produced naturally by the body) that neutralises pH fluctuations and thus protects cells and organs.
These systems form a magnificent machine, whose function is to work together to ensure that the body remains in its optimal operating zone, despite disturbances related to diet, stress... or physical activity.
But if you practise sport intensively, isn't it normal to give your body a helping hand to maintain its acid-base balance? Well, compensate for it with a diet that counteracts this acidification!
