In a recent review article published in a magazine Frontiers of nutritionUS researchers synthesized what is known about the beneficial effects of beetroot juice (BRJ) in terms of athletic performance and physiological function.
They concluded that the benefits of BRJ outweighed those of dietary nitrates (no)3–) and nitrates (NITs) contain a variety of phytonutrients that enhance training and recovery outcomes.
study: Beet juice supplementation and athletic performance: Is there more to the story than just nitrates??
Dietary nitrates are known to have exercise-related benefits
Nitrate supplementation reduces the oxygen cost of aerobic exercise and can influence muscle contractility, vascular function, exercise performance and economy, training adaptation, and muscle damage and pain.
These benefits are thought to result from increased production of nitric oxide in the body, which lowers blood pressure and regulates other physiological responses.Leafy greens and beets are rich sources of NO3–and the effect of BRJ has often been considered to be equivalent to that of NIT if NO.3– The doses are equivalent.
However, this assumption does not take into account the various polyphenols and other components of BRJ that may provide greater advantages over NIT, benefits that are not directly related to nitrate richness.
In addition to being rich in nitrates, BRJ also contains potassium, magnesium, folic acid, ascorbic acid, and biological components. Polyphenolic compounds found in BRJ include betanin and other betacyanins.
Because NO3–-Free BRJ does not significantly alter oxygen uptake, performance during exercise, or muscle metabolism. Other biologically active components of BRJ may act in conjunction with nitrate rather than independently.
Comparing NIT and BRJ on exercise-related outcomes
Early studies reporting the superiority of BRJ over NIT found no significant difference during moderate-intensity exercise. However, during high-intensity exercise, BRJ significantly reduced oxygen uptake.
This may be because BRJ improves mitochondrial efficiency and increases the economy of exercise. More recent research has validated these findings and further found that BRJ delays the time to onset of fatigue during high-intensity training.
From these observations, scientists concluded that BRJ may more effectively reduce oxygen costs and improve performance outcomes during intense aerobic exercise.
However, open questions remain as to why this effect is seen at moderate nitrate doses but not at lower or higher doses. An important limitation of these studies is the difficulty in blinding clinical trial participants to the obvious differences between her NIT and BRJ.
The mechanism by which BRJ further enhances the effects of exercise
Researchers speculate that other components of BRJ, such as polyphenols, may increase NO.3– Absorbency compared to NIT. However, plasma NO3– and no2– Levels appear to be identical between 2 and 4 hours after ingesting NIT and BRJ.
Add to this the fact that NO was not measured in at least one study.3– Levels of BRJ supplements often vary widely, meaning that observed differences may be due to unobserved differences in nitrate bioavailability.
Of note, one study comparing the effects of BRJ and NIT on eccentric exercise recovery found no difference in muscle damage after repeated drop jumps, but BRJ significantly reduced muscle soreness. It has been found. This may be due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Another study examining sprint interval training shows that BRJ may reduce the physiological strain associated with training, allowing for more intense training and better training-related outcomes. However, the generalizability of these results is limited by the small sample size, meaning that high-performing outliers can have a large impact on the results.
conclusion
There appears to be some indication that BRJ may be superior to NIT when it comes to certain exercise-related outcomes.
If “No”3– The two levels are truly equal, but not necessarily established. This means that other ingredients in her BRJ, such as polyphenols, work synergistically with nitrates to enhance exercise performance. However, further research is needed to determine how, if any, components are causing these effects.
Furthermore, the bioavailability of nitrate appears to be similar in BRJ and NIT, as seen by the effects on blood pressure, so these ingredients may not increase bioavailability but rather prolong bioavailability or May reduce damage. Currently, there is limited evidence that the effectiveness of BRJ is due to reducing tissue oxidative stress.
The authors recommend that future trials comparing NIT and BRJ directly measure NO.3– Adjust both levels and adjust for fluctuations in nitrate levels. He also used thickeners, food coloring, and artificial flavors to ensure participants couldn’t tell the difference between the two treatments. If blinding is not possible, physiological responses can also be assessed in addition to performance.
