Harnessing the Power of Beet Juice – Enhancing Athletic Performance through Dietary Nitrates
by Eric Gerlach, MS
Personal Training Quarterly
July 2025
Vol 12, Issue 1
This article delves into the impacts of beet juice supplementation on endurance and high-intensity intermittent exercise.
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This article originally appeared in NSCA Coach, a quarterly publication for NSCA Members that provides valuable takeaways for every level of strength and conditioning coach. You can find scientifically based articles specific to a wide variety of your athletes’ needs with Nutrition, Programming, and Youth columns. Read more articles from NSCA Coach »
References
- Cermak, NM, Gibala, MJ, and van Loon, LJ. Nitrate supplementation's improvement of 10-km time-trial performance in trained cyclists. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 22(1): 64-71, 2012.
- Govoni, M, Jansson, EA, Weitzberg, E, and Lundberg, JO. The increase in plasma nitrite after a dietary nitrate load is markedly attenuated by an antibacterial mouthwash. Nitric Oxide 19(4): 333-337, 2008.
- Hoon, MW, Jones, AM, Johnson, NA, Blackwell, JR, Broad, EM, and Lundy, B. The effect of nitrate supplementation on exercise performance in healthy individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 23(5): 522-532, 2013.
- Jones, AM. Dietary nitrate supplementation and exercise performance. Sports Medicine 44(1): 35-45, 2014.
- Lansley, KE, Winyard, PG, Bailey, SJ, Vanhatalo, A, Wilkerson, DP, Blackwell, JR, et al. Acute dietary nitrate supplementation improves cycling time trial performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 43(6): 1125-1131, 2011.
- Larsen, FJ, Ekblom, B, Sahlin, K, Lundberg, JO, and Weitzberg, E. Effects of dietary nitrate on oxygen cost during exercise. Acta Physiologica 191(1): 59-66, 2007.
- Lundberg, JO, Weitzberg, E, and Gladwin, MT. The nitratenitrite-nitric oxide pathway in physiology and therapeutics. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 7(2): 156-167, 2008.
- McMahon, NF, Leveritt, MD, and Pavey, TG. The effect of dietary nitrate supplementation on endurance exercise performance in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine 47(4): 735-756, 2016.
- Muggeridge, DJ, Howe, CC, Spendiff, 0, Pedlar, CR, James, PE, and Easton, C. A single dose of beetroot juice enhances cycling performance in trained male athletes. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 39(3): 340-344, 2013.
- Murphy, M, Eliot, K, Heuertz, RM, and Weiss, E. Whole beetroot consumption acutely improves running performance. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 112(4): 548-552, 2012.
- Thompson, C, Wylie, LJ, Fulford, J, Kelly, J, Black, Ml, McDonagh, ST, and Jones, AM. Influence of dietary nitrate supplementation on physiological and performance responses to team sport training. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports 26(2): 143-150, 2016.
- Wylie, LJ, Kelly, J, Bailey, SJ, Blackwell, JR, Skiba, PF, Winyard, PG, and Jones, AM. Beetroot juice and exercise: Pharmacodynamic and dose-response relationships. Journal of Applied Physiology 115(3): 325-336, 2013.
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Topics:
Exercise Science Nutrition Program design Testing and Evaluation Client Consultation|Assessment Basic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition and Disorder or Disease
Exercise Science Nutrition Program design Testing and Evaluation Client Consultation|Assessment Basic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition and Disorder or Disease
Keywords:
Dietary Nitrates Beet Juice High-intensity exercise Recovery Endurance Athletic Performance Nutrition Supplements
Dietary Nitrates Beet Juice High-intensity exercise Recovery Endurance Athletic Performance Nutrition Supplements
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