08.16.21
A recent review which analyzed the effect of dietary nitrate supplements on exercise in 73 studies concluded that supplementing with nitrates could improve a number of exercise-performance related biological outputs.
The review, which appeared in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, specifically looked at placebo-controlled human clinical trials, all of which involved adults engaging in endurance-based activities with some kind of measurement of a physiological outcome. The studies amassed a total pool of 1,061 participants.
“Endurance capacity is an important component of physical fitness that relates to the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to support sustained physical activity,” the authors of the study wrote. “Different macronutrients and micronutrients have been used as ergogenic aids to potentially improve performance. Specifically, nitrates are thought to potentially improve athletic performance. Beetroot juice, pomegranate extract, and green leafy vegetables such as collard greens, lettuce, and spinach constitute substantial sources of dietary nitrate.”
It is theorized that the nitric oxide (NO) boosting effects of nitrates can modulate skeletal muscle function, contributing to blood flow regulation, contractility, glucose and calcium homeostasis, and mitochondrial biogenesis, the authors of the study noted.
After evaluating risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration tool and pooled data with a random-effects model, the researchers concluded that nitrate supplementation was significantly linked to improvements in power output, time-to-exhaustion, and distance travelled in exercise tests, while no significant differences were observed in perceived exertion, time trial performance, and work done.
“Based on very low to moderate quality, RCT data, this systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that dietary nitrate supplementation improves performance during endurance sports,” the authors of the study concluded. “This is especially evident when evaluating important outcomes, such as power output, time to exhaustion, and distance traveled. However, given its mixed effects on explanatory variables, like blood lactate and VO2, further research is needed […].”
The review, which appeared in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, specifically looked at placebo-controlled human clinical trials, all of which involved adults engaging in endurance-based activities with some kind of measurement of a physiological outcome. The studies amassed a total pool of 1,061 participants.
“Endurance capacity is an important component of physical fitness that relates to the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to support sustained physical activity,” the authors of the study wrote. “Different macronutrients and micronutrients have been used as ergogenic aids to potentially improve performance. Specifically, nitrates are thought to potentially improve athletic performance. Beetroot juice, pomegranate extract, and green leafy vegetables such as collard greens, lettuce, and spinach constitute substantial sources of dietary nitrate.”
It is theorized that the nitric oxide (NO) boosting effects of nitrates can modulate skeletal muscle function, contributing to blood flow regulation, contractility, glucose and calcium homeostasis, and mitochondrial biogenesis, the authors of the study noted.
After evaluating risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration tool and pooled data with a random-effects model, the researchers concluded that nitrate supplementation was significantly linked to improvements in power output, time-to-exhaustion, and distance travelled in exercise tests, while no significant differences were observed in perceived exertion, time trial performance, and work done.
“Based on very low to moderate quality, RCT data, this systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that dietary nitrate supplementation improves performance during endurance sports,” the authors of the study concluded. “This is especially evident when evaluating important outcomes, such as power output, time to exhaustion, and distance traveled. However, given its mixed effects on explanatory variables, like blood lactate and VO2, further research is needed […].”
