(NBC News) – In an eight-day span in February, seven of track and field’s historic marks were broken. And it’s partly thanks to baking soda.

The benefits of “bicarb” have been known for decades, said Steve Magness, a coach and former elite runner who has written multiple books about performance. But athletes have been wary of it for just as long for an often unpleasant reason: The odds of a performance boost had to be weighed against the risk of race-wrecking gastrointestinal distress. (Read More)