title: Beetroot juice and exercise: pharmacodynamic and dose-response relationships.
abstract: Dietary supplementation with beetroot juice (BR), containing approximately 5-8 mmol inorganic nitrate (NO3(-)), increases plasma nitrite concentration ([NO2(-)]), reduces blood pressure, and may positively influence the physiological responses to exercise. However, the dose-response relationship between the volume of BR ingested and the physiological effects invoked has not been investigated. In a balanced crossover design, 10 healthy men ingested 70, 140, or 280 ml concentrated BR (containing 4.2, 8.4, and 16.8 mmol NO3(-), respectively) or no supplement to establish the effects of BR on resting plasma [NO3(-)] and [NO2(-)] over 24 h. Subsequently, on six separate occasions, 10 subjects completed moderate-intensity and severe-intensity cycle exercise tests, 2.5 h postingestion of 70, 140, and 280 ml BR or NO3(-)-depleted BR as placebo (PL). Following acute BR ingestion, plasma [NO2(-)] increased in a dose-dependent manner, with the peak changes occurring at approximately 2-3 h. Compared with PL, 70 ml BR did not alter the physiological responses to exercise. However, 140 and 280 ml BR reduced the steady-state oxygen (O2) uptake during moderate-intensity exercise by 1.7% (P = 0.06) and 3.0% (P < 0.05), whereas time-to-task failure was extended by 14% and 12% (both P < 0.05), respectively, compared with PL. The results indicate that whereas plasma [NO2(-)] and the O2 cost of moderate-intensity exercise are altered dose dependently with NO3(-)-rich BR, there is no additional improvement in exercise tolerance after ingesting BR containing 16.8 compared with 8.4 mmol NO3(-). These findings have important implications for the use of BR to enhance cardiovascular health and exercise performance in young adults.
authors: Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, St. Luke's Campus, Exeter, United Kingdom.
authors: Lee J
authors: LJ
authors: Wylie
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Kelly
authors: Stephen J
authors: SJ
authors: Bailey
authors: Jamie R
authors: JR
authors: Blackwell
authors: Philip F
authors: PF
authors: Skiba
authors: Paul G
authors: PG
authors: Winyard
authors: Asker E
authors: AE
authors: Jeukendrup
authors: Anni
authors: A
authors: Vanhatalo
authors: Andrew M
authors: AM
authors: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D027461:Beta vulgaris / Q000502:physiology*; D001628:Beverages; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D019344:Lactic Acid; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: O2 uptake; blood pressure; exercise economy; exercise tolerance; nitrate; nitric oxide; nitrite