Beetroot Juice Supplementation Improves High-Intensity Intermittent Type Exercise Performance in Trained Soccer...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science and Nutrition
• Exercise Physiology
• Nutritional Supplementation

Background:

• Nitrate supplementation is known to enhance endurance exercise performance.
• Emerging research indicates nitrate ingestion may also benefit intermittent exercise in recreational athletes.
• The efficacy in trained athletes performing high-intensity intermittent exercise remains to be fully elucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if six days of nitrate supplementation improves high-intensity intermittent exercise performance in trained soccer players.
• To assess the impact of nitrate supplementation on physiological markers during intermittent exercise.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind, cross-over study involving 32 trained male soccer players.
• Participants consumed nitrate-rich beetroot juice (BR) or placebo (PLA) daily for six days, with an eight-day washout period.
• High-intensity intermittent running performance was evaluated using the Yo-Yo IR1 test; heart rate and blood/saliva samples were collected.

Main Results:

• Six days of BR ingestion significantly increased plasma and salivary nitrate and nitrite concentrations compared to PLA (p < 0.001).
• Beetroot juice supplementation enhanced Yo-Yo IR1 test performance by 3.4% (1574 to 1623 m; p = 0.027).
• Mean heart rate during the test was lower following BR ingestion (172 bpm) versus PLA (175 bpm; p = 0.014).

Conclusions:

• Six days of nitrate supplementation via beetroot juice effectively improves high-intensity intermittent exercise performance in trained soccer players.
• Nitrate supplementation may offer a viable ergogenic aid for athletes engaged in intermittent, high-intensity sports.
• The observed improvements are likely linked to enhanced nitrate and nitrite availability, potentially influencing exercise efficiency.