KENNEDY

Effect of Beetroot Juice

FITZGERALD
NTRI 7580: RESEARCH
Supplementation on
SEMINAR FOR
MASTER’S PROGRAM
Intermittent Exercise
Performance in Athletes
Outline

Background
• Ergogenic Aids
• Biochemical Pathway
• NO function
Research Articles
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion
Summary of Findings
Background
 In competitive sports, 0.5-1.5% improvement in
performance is considered critical.
 Majority of athletes use nutritional supplements
 To enhance effects of training and performance
 Beetroot juice is used as a supplement because of
its high inorganic nitrate (NO3-) content.
 The use of dietary nitrate to enhance performance
has received attention due to its possible ergogenic
effects through the reduction of dietary nitrate into
nitrite and NO.
 Background
 Pathways:
 Classical Pathway
 Entero-Salivary Circulation
 Bloodstream
Background
• NO3- is reduced to NO2- by anaerobic
bacteria in the oral cavity
• Then reduced to NO in the stomach
and absorbed by the gut under hypoxic
conditions
• Remaining NO3- and NO2- are
absorbed from the intestine into
circulation and become bioactive NO
in tissues and blood
Background

 NO functions:
 vasodilation

 regulation of blood flow and VO2

 mitochondrial biogenesis
 mitochondrial respiration
 glucose uptake
 muscle contraction/relaxation
1: The Effect of BRJ Supplementation on Dynamic Apnea and
Intermittent Sprint Performance in Elite Female Water Polo
Players

 Aim: assess the effects of BRJ supplementation on dynamic apnea and

intermittent sprint performance in elite female water polo players
 14 athletes from the female Dutch National water polo team
 Double blinded, randomized, crossover design
 Two 6-day supplementation period, 1 week washout
 BR: 140 mL/d of nitrate rich (800 mg nitrate)
 PLA: 140 mL/d of nitrate depleted BRJ
1: The Effect of BRJ Supplementation on Dynamic Apnea and
Intermittent Sprint Performance in Elite Female Water Polo
Players
 Protocol:
 Dynamic apnea included max distance swimming in shallow water,
continuous front crawl swimming was performed with the head kept
underwater until exhaustion
 Intermittent sprint test consisted of 4x4 15 m, with 5s active rest between each
sprint and 30s rest between each block of four sprints
 Supplements were ingested at home for 5 days and final dose was provided at
the facility
 Dietary Standardization
1: The Effect of BRJ Supplementation on Dynamic Apnea
and Intermittent Sprint Performance in Elite Female Water
Polo Players
 Results:
 Plasma nitrate concentrations were
significantly higher following 5 days of
supplementation in BR vs PLA (127 ± 98
vs. 56 ± 22 μmol/L, p = 0.016) and
further increased at 2.5 hr post ingestion
on test day.
 Plasma nitrite concentrations for BR
increased from baseline to 2.5 hr post
ingestion on test day compared to PLA
(227 ± 246 vs. 516 ± 268 nmol/L, p < .
001).
1: The Effect of BRJ Supplementation on Dynamic Apnea and
Intermittent Sprint Performance in Elite Female Water Polo
Players
 Distance covered during the dynamic apnea test
did not significantly differ between BR and PLA
(49.5 ± 7.8 vs. 46.9 ± 9.1 m, p = .18)
 Time to exhaustion during dynamic apnea did
not differ between BR and PLA (30.6 ± 6.3 vs.
28.1 ± 5.9 s, p = .14)
 Time to complete the intermittent test was not
different between BR and PLA (316.0 ± 7.9 s vs.
316.3 ± 6.9 s, p = .73)
 Time to complete separate blocks (4x15m) did
not differ between BR and PLA.
2. Effects of BRJ Ingestion on Physical Performance
in Highly Competitive Tennis Players
 Aim: analyze the effect of BRJ ingestion on physical
performance in tennis players
 13 highly competitive tennis players
 Randomized, crossover, placebo controlled, double blind
 Tested on two separate days with a one-week washout
 70 mL of either BR or PLA 3 hr prior to testing
2. Effects of BRJ Ingestion on Physical Performance
in Highly Competitive Tennis Players
 No significant differences were found between
BR and PLA in any of the physical
performance tests
 SVT p=0.536, ES=0.16
 CMJ p=0.327, ES=-0.14
 HIS p=0.069, ES=0.26
 5-0-5 DOM p=0.071, ES= 0.69
 5-0-5 No DOM p=0.191, ES=-0.38
 10 m p=0.227, ES=0.39
2. Effects of BRJ Ingestion on Physical Performance
in Highly Competitive Tennis Players

 Limitations
 BRJ dose of 70mL was insufficient to stimulate ergogenic effects
 Small sample size (13)
 Did not measure plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations
 Limited ability to alter the athlete's diet

 The results indicate that 70mL of BRJ does not improve serve velocity, jump
height, isometric handgrip strength, agility performance or sprint speed in highly
trained tennis players.
3. BRJ Supplementation Improves High Intensity
Intermittent Type Exercise Performance in Trained Soccer
Players
 Aim: to assess the effects of a six-day nitrate-rich BRJ supplementation protocol
on high intensity intermittent running performance in a group of trained soccer
players
 32 male soccer players from Dutch amateur league
 Double blind, randomized, placebo controlled, cross over study
 6-day supplementation of 2x70mL/day
 Day six was consumed 3.5 hr prior to testing
 Washout 8 days
3. BRJ Supplementation Improves High Intensity
Intermittent Type Exercise Performance in Trained Soccer
Players
 Collected blood and salivary samples to determine pre-exercise nitrate and nitrite
concentrations
 GI tolerance questionnaire
 Standard 10 min warmup followed by Yo-Yo IR1
3. BRJ Supplementation Improves High Intensity
Intermittent Type Exercise Performance in Trained Soccer
Players
 Plasma nitrate and nitrite levels
and salivary nitrate and nitrite
levels were higher following BR
ingestion compared to PLA (p <
0.001)
3. BRJ Supplementation Improves High Intensity
Intermittent Type Exercise Performance in Trained Soccer
Players
 High-intensity intermittent running performance as assessed by the Yo-Yo IR1
significantly improved following BR ingestion (1623 ± 48 m) when compared to
PLA (1574 ± 47 m; p = 0.027).
4. Influence of BRJ supplementation on Intermittent
Exercise Performance

 Aim: Assess the effects of nitrate supplementation on performance during a

variety of high intensity intermittent exercise featuring different work and
recovery intervals.
 10 male recreational team-sport players
 Randomized, double blind, cross-over design
 70 mL/d of nitrate rich or nitrate depleted
 5-day supplementation period with 7-day washout
4. Influence of BRJ supplementation on Intermittent
Exercise Performance

 On non-experimental days (1 and 2) subjects consumed 1x 70 mL

in the morning and evening. On experimental days (3, 4, 5)
subjects consumed 2x70 mL 2.5 hrs prior to testing.
 Subjects completed 24x6-s, 7x30-s, 6x60-s sprints on days 3, 4,
and 5 respectively on a cycle ergometer.
4. Influence of BRJ supplementation on Intermittent
Exercise Performance
 Plasma nitrite concentrations were elevated in BR
compared to PLA on days 3, 4, and 5. Across the three-
sample points plasma nitrite was 237% higher in BR than
PLA.
4. Influence of BRJ supplementation on Intermittent
Exercise Performance
Summary of Findings

Inconsistency in the efficacy of BRJ supplementation to

improve intermittent exercise performance can be attributed to
inner-study differences in participant training status, exercise
modality, exercise protocol and supplementation procedures.

Further research needs to be done to solidify the appropriate

timing and dosage as well as compare effects between different
levels of athletes.
References

 Dominguez R, Cuenca E, Mate-Munoz JL, Garcia-Fernandez P, Serra-Paya N, Lozano Estevan MC, Herreros
PV, Garnacho-Castano MV. Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Cardiorespiratory Endurance in
Athletes. A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2017;9(1)43-61. doi: 10.3390/nu9010043.
 Jonvik KL, van Dijk JW, Senden JMG, van Loon LJC, Verdijk LB. The Effect of Beetroot Juice
Supplementation on Dynamic Apnea and Intermittent Sprint Performance in Elite Female Water Polo
Players. Int J Sport Nutr Exe. 2018;28(5):468-473. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0293
 Lopez-Samanes A, Perez-Lopez A, Moreno-Perez V, Yuzo Nakamura F, Acebes-Sanchez J, Quintana-Milla I,
Sanchez-Oliver AJ, Moreno-Perez D, Fernandez-Elias VE, Dominguez R. Effects of Beetroot Juice Ingestion
on Physical Performance in Highly Competitive Tennis Players. Nutrients. 2020;12(2):584-594.
doi:10.3390/nu12020584
 Nyakayiru J, Jonvik KL, Trommelen J, Pinckaers PJM, Senden JM, van Loon LJC, Verdijk LB. Beetroot
Juice Supplementation Improves High-Intensity Intermittent Type Exercise Performance in Trained Soccer
Players. Nutrients. 2017;9(3);314-324. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9030314
 Wylie LJ, Bailey SJ, Kelly J, Blackwell JR, Vanhatalo A, Jones AM. Influence of beetroot juice
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