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Can Beet Juice Help Improve Sports Performance?
Other potential effects
Beetroot supplementation can also fight the lack of nitric oxide in hypoxic conditions and thus help to perform better at high altitudes. It could also make it possible to increase performance in apnea by greatly reducing the metabolic cost.
A nitrate supplement combined with weight training could also be helpful in increasing strength and muscle mass. Indeed, taking a nitrate supplement could improve muscle efficiency in terms of reducing phosphocreatine and energy costs and improving time to exhaustion. According to a systematic review of 12 studies, the best results were observed with a minimum dose of 400 mg of nitrate provided as beet juice/shooter taken 2 to 2.5 hours before exercise involving muscle contractions of low and high intensity.
Beets are also good for your health!
Some research suggests that beets can help defend us against certain cancers, such as those of the prostate, breast, liver and lungs. This protective effect is due to its rich content of betaine, a powerful antioxidant. Beets are also rich in vitamins and minerals, notably potassium, sodium, magnesium and vitamin C.
What are the side effects of taking beet supplements?
Taking beet juice supplements temporarily gives the urine and stool a pinkish color and may cause mild gastrointestinal disturbances. It should be noted that the nitrate content in beet juice is variable and that some supplements are more concentrated than others.
In conclusion, to improve athletic performance, it is better to first optimize the quality of training, recovery, sleep and diet before deciding to take a supplement. All of these factors will have a much greater effect on performance than any supplement. On the other hand, if you have already optimized all these aspects, beet juice seems to be a safe choice and could in some cases provide some benefits to performance. Further research is needed to better understand the beneficial effects of nitrate supplementation as well as the protocol for its use.
References
- Maughan et coll. (2018) IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med;52:439–455.
- Silva et coll. (2022) Factors that Moderate the Effect of Nitrate Ingestion on Exercise Performance in Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses and Meta-Regressions. Adv Nutr;13(5):1866-1881.
- Torben et coll (2019) Chronic high-dose beetroot juice supplementation improves time trial T performance of well-trained cyclists in normoxia and hypoxia. Nitric Oxide; 85: 44–52.
- Burke et Deakin (2015) Clinical Sports Nutrition, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill Education, 828 pages.
- Anderson et coll. (2021) Effects of Nitrate Supplementation on Muscle Strength and Mass: A Systematic Review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research; 36(12): 3562–3570.
Author
Kathryn holds a Bachelor Degree in Nutrition as well as a Bachelor and a Master Degree in Kinesiology, all from Laval University. She is a Registered Dietitian and active member of the Ordre professionnel des Diététistes Nutritionnistes du Québec (ODNQ) and of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She holds the Monash University's certification for the FODMAP diet and IBS, and has considerable clinical experience in that area. She is also an accomplished athlete, having ran track and cross-country at a national level. Kathryn specializes in sports nutrition, weight loss, diabetes, as well as heart and gastrointestinal health.
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