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Effects of an Isotonic Beetroot Drink on Power Output During Sprint Exercise and Jump Performance in Physically
Tak Hiong Wong1, Rachelle Sim1, Alexiaa Sim1
1Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
Abstract:
Exogenous nitrate ingestion can improve exercise performance. This study investigated whether an isotonic beetroot drink could improve jump and sprint performance in active individuals. Twenty-three physically active participants (17 males, 6 females) (mean ± SD; age: 26 ± 4 years; body mass index: 22.4 ± 1.9 kg/m2) completed a double-blind, randomized, cross-over study where they consumed 570mL of either beetroot juice drink (BR) or isotonic beetroot juice drink (ISO-BR) three hours before performing countermovement (CMJ) and standing broad jump (SBJ) tests and a 30-second all-out sprint on a cycle ergometer. Both drinks contained equal nitrate (12.9 mmol) and carbohydrate (6.1g per 100mL) content but differed in osmolality (BR: 420 mOsm/kg vs. ISO-BR: 315 mOsm/kg). Salivary total nitrate and nitrite concentrations (NOx) 3 hours post-ingestion were significantly higher after consuming ISO-BR than BR. ISO-BR significantly improved peak power output compared to BR by 3.9% (ISO-BR: 11.4 ± 2.5 W/kg vs. BR: 11.0 ± 2.3 W/kg, p = .04) but not time to peak power (ISO-BR: 2.8 ± 1.7 s vs. BR: 2.9 ± 1.6 s, p = .62) or mean power output (ISO-BR: 7.3 ± 1.5 W/kg vs. BR: 7.3 ± 1.5 W/kg, p = .37). There were no significant differences in CMJ or SBJ between trials (p > .05). Sensory evaluation indicated that ISO-BR was preferred by 91% (n = 21) of participants compared with BR (average score; ISO-BR: 5.52 vs. BR: 3.52, p < .05). An ISO-BR drink improved peak power output during sprint cycling but not jump performance compared with BR alone, potentially via increased NOx.
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