Short-Term Beetroot Juice Supplementation Enhances Strength, Reduces Fatigue, and Promotes Recovery in Physically...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Dietary nitrate from beetroot juice (BJ) is known to benefit endurance exercise.
• Limited research exists on BJ's short-term impact on resistance training performance and recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of short-term BJ supplementation on strength performance, cardiovascular responses, muscle oxygenation, and recovery in resistance-trained males.

Main Methods:

• Twelve resistance-trained males participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
• Participants supplemented with BJ (450 mg nitrate/day) or placebo for three days, with testing sessions assessing resistance exercises (back squat, bench press) at varying intensities.
• Measurements included repetitions to failure, movement velocity, muscle oxygenation (SmO2), heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), jump performance, and delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Main Results:

• Beetroot juice supplementation significantly increased repetitions to failure at 80% 1RM for both back squat and bench press.
• Peak movement velocity improved across all intensities with BJ compared to placebo.
• Muscle oxygenation (SmO2) was higher with BJ, particularly at higher intensities and after 72 hours.
• Cardiovascular strain was reduced (lower peak HR, improved HRV), and recovery was faster (improved jump performance, reduced DOMS).

Conclusions:

• Short-term beetroot juice supplementation enhances high-intensity resistance exercise performance.
• BJ improves muscle oxygenation and reduces cardiovascular strain during resistance training.
• Supplementation accelerates neuromuscular recovery and reduces muscle soreness, suggesting a practical application for athletes during intense training periods.