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Imagine you’re lining up for a big race, feeling the excitement and nerves. You’ve done everything right in training, and now you’re looking for that extra edge. Enter beetroot juice, or more specifically the nitrate that’s in it. This powerful supplement, might just be the secret weapon you need to outperform your competitors. This article will delve into the science behind dietary nitrate, its benefits, dosing and timing strategies, and practical applications for endurance athletes.
When ingested dietary nitrate, undergoes a conversion process in the body. Initially absorbed as nitrate, it is converted to nitrite by bacteria in the mouth. Nitrite can then be further reduced to nitric oxide (NO). NO is a powerful molecule that plays a crucial role in various physiological processes, and is behind some of the benefits we see in athletes consuming beetroot juice1.
Picture this: You’re halfway through a marathon, and normally you’d start to feel the burn by now. But today, you’re still feeling strong, your muscles are working efficiently, and your breath is steady. This could be the result of that beetroot juice you drank a few hours ago, working its magic to enhance your performance.
So everything to this point has been about the biology and how this stuff might work. This is interesting and fun but we shouldn’t get lost in mechanisms; we need to know if dietary nitrate actually makes us go faster and who should be taking it.
There is heaps of research on dietary nitrate supplementation, and like a lot of research, there aren’t straightforward black-and-white answers but there are some key takeaways that you might be able to use to edge in front of your competition. Here’s a summary of the key findings and everything you really need to know.
Dietary nitrates have been shown to increase power output by approximately 4.6 watts on average, increase time to exhaustion by about 25.3 seconds. It was also shown to
reduce the oxygen cost of exercise as VO2 decreased by approximately 0.04 L/min, indicating enhanced exercise efficiency1. Now all of these results come with some important caveats as the results are averages pulled from dozens of studies that have used slightly different exercise protocols. This means that although we can have some reasonable confidence there is a benefit to be had, the extent of that benefit might depend on the duration and intensity of the training or race you are competing in. There are also some other really important things to consider before you start chugging beetroot juice before your next race, which I will now explore with you.
Your response to nitrate supplementation might depend on how fit you are. Recreational athletes show greater and more consistent improvements in performance measures. This might be due to their lower baseline level of muscle efficiency and oxidative capacity. Higher level athletes on the other hand don’t really seem to respond as well, if at all1,6. I know a lot of elite teams and programmes simply don’t bother with nitrate supplementation and instead focus their finite resources on other things that have shown more promise. Within the research “well-trained” athletes are usually defined by their VO2 peak (slightly different to VO2 max) being above ≥65 mL·kg−1·min−1. The reason these athletes don’t seem to benefit from dietary nitrates is that, through years of training, their physiological systems have adapted in such a way that there is simply limited scope for them to improve in response to supplementation.
Consider Jane, a recreational runner who’s been training for her first half-marathon. She starts supplementing with beetroot juice a few weeks before her race and notices she can run longer and feel less fatigued. Contrast this with Tom, an elite triathlete with years of rigorous training. He tries the same supplement but doesn’t notice much difference. Their different responses highlight how individual training status can affect the efficacy of dietary nitrate.
Like many areas of sport science women are underrepresented in the research on nitrate supplementation, which just gives us less data to pull from. To put this into a context a large systematic review found that the included studies had a total of 1,179 male participants versus just 156 women6. The data we do have actually suggests that women don’t seem to benefit from nitrate supplementation. This could be based on some physiological differences but it’s difficult to draw definitive conclusion at the moment, simply due to the lack of data.
The variability in response to beetroot juice supplementation is just one many examples of why it’s important always ask questions about who the research has been performed on. Research is typically performed on groups of similar people, and you are a unique individual. There are a lot of factors that make you unique that might alter the way you response to a training and nutrition intervention. A few things just to name a few include age, gender, training history, current training plan, choice of sport, genetics, lifestyle and your regular diet. All of these factors should be considered as much as possible when selecting which approaches should be taken to optimise your health and performance.
Research indicates that the effective dose of dietary nitrate ranges from 6 to 12 mmol per day (340 to 740 mg of nitrate). The timing of ingestion is also critical. To maximise the performance benefits, it’s recommended to consume dietary nitrate 2-3 hours before exercise6. This window allows for the peak conversion of nitrate to nitrite and subsequently to nitric oxide.
Think about the hours leading up to a big race. You’ve got your gear ready, your warm-up routine planned, the rest of your nutrition is dialled in, the next thing to add into your routine could be get your beetroot juice shot in. By timing it just right, 2-3 hours before the start, you’re setting yourself up to get the most out of this supplement.
While supplements are a convenient option, dietary nitrate can be obtained from food sources, although I will point out that the vast majority of the research on nitrate has used concentrates and powders. Here are some rich sources of dietary nitrate and their approximate nitrate content:
Beetroot
Leafy Greens
Other Vegetables:
For those who prefer supplements, there are several options available. Always make sure you check the label to see how much nitrate is in a serving as like every other sports supplement there is massive variety in the quality of products across different brands.
Incorporating dietary nitrate into your nutrition strategy can provide a significant performance boost, especially for endurance athletes. Whether through supplements or a diet rich in nitrate-containing vegetables, this simple addition can help you push your limits and achieve your goals. By adhering to the recommended dosages and timing, you can optimise the ergogenic effects of dietary nitrate and enjoy enhanced endurance and better performance.
So next time you’re looking for that extra edge, don’t forget to consider the power of nitrates. With the right dosage and timing, you might just find yourself crossing the finish line faster and stronger than ever before.
1 Gao, C. et al. The effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on endurance exercise performance and cardiorespiratory measures in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 55, doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00450-4 (2021).
2 Hobbs, D. A., George, T. W. & Lovegrove, J. A. The effects of dietary nitrate on blood pressure and endothelial function: a review of human intervention studies. Nutrition Research Reviews 26, 210-222, doi:10.1017/S0954422413000188 (2013).
3 Pawlak-Chaouch, M. et al. Effect of dietary nitrate supplementation on metabolic rate during rest and exercise in human: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Nitric Oxide 53, 65-76, doi:10.1016/j.niox.2016.01.001 (2016).
4 Bailey, S. J., Gandra, P. G., Jones, A. M., Hogan, M. C. & Nogueira, L. Incubation with sodium nitrite attenuates fatigue development in intact single mouse fibres at physiological PO2. J Physiol 597, 5429-5443, doi:10.1113/jp278494 (2019).
5 Husmann, F., Bruhn, S., Mittlmeier, T., Zschorlich, V. & Behrens, M. Dietary Nitrate Supplementation Improves Exercise Tolerance by Reducing Muscle Fatigue and Perceptual Responses. Front Physiol 10, 404, doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00404 (2019).
6 Senefeld, J. W. et al. Ergogenic Effect of Nitrate Supplementation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc 52, 2250-2261, doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000002363 (2020).
7 Kapil, V. et al. Physiological role for nitrate-reducing oral bacteria in blood pressure control. Free Radic Biol Med 55, 93-100, doi:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2012.11.013 (2013).
