Acute Beetroot Juice Supplementation Has No Effect on Upper- and Lower-Body Maximal Isokinetic Strength and Muscular Endurance in International-Level Male Gymnasts

Jan 18, 2024International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism

Beetroot Juice Taken Before Exercise Does Not Change Maximal Strength or Muscle Endurance in Top Male Gymnasts

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Abstract

Acute beetroot juice supplementation containing ∼12.8 mmol/L of NO3- increased plasma nitrate and nitrite levels but did not improve isokinetic strength or endurance in male gymnasts.

Plasma nitrate levels rose significantly following beetroot juice supplementation compared to the placebo.
Plasma nitrite concentrations were also elevated after consuming beetroot juice versus the placebo.
Maximal strength in knee and elbow muscles showed no significant difference between beetroot juice and placebo.
Fatigue resistance during repeated muscle contractions did not vary between the two supplementation conditions.

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Nitrate (NO3-) has properties that can improve muscle function, leading to improvements in metabolic cost of exercise as well as enhance force production. Gymnastics is a whole-body sport, involving events that demand a high level of strength and fatigue resistance. However, the effect of NO3- supplementation on both upper- and lower-body function in gymnasts is unknown. This study examined the effect of acute beetroot juice (BRJ) supplementation on isokinetic strength and endurance of the upper- and lower-body in highly trained international-level male gymnasts. In a double-blind, randomized crossover design, 10 international-level male gymnasts completed two acute supplementation periods, consuming either 2 × 70 ml NO3--rich (∼12.8 mmol/L of NO3-) or NO3--depleted (PLA) BRJ. Maximal strength of the upper-leg and upper-arm at 60°/s, 120°/s, 180°/s, and 300°/s, and muscular endurance (50 repeated isokinetic contractions at 180°/s) were assessed. Plasma NO3- (BRJ: 663 ± 164 μM, PLA: 89 ± 48 μM) and nitrite (NO2-) concentrations (BRJ: 410 ± 137 nmol/L, PLA: 125 ± 36 nmol/L) were elevated following BRJ compared to PLA (both p < .001). Maximal strength of knee and elbow extensors and flexors did not differ between supplements (p > .05 for all velocities). Similarly, fatigue index of knee and elbow extension and flexion was not different between supplements (all p > .05). Acute BRJ supplementation, containing ∼12.8 mmol/L of NO3-, increased plasma NO3- and NO2- concentrations, but did not enhance isokinetic strength or fatigue resistance of either upper or lower extremities in international-level male gymnasts.

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Acute Beetroot Juice Supplementation Has No Effect on Upper- and Lower-Body Maximal Isokinetic Strength and Muscular Endurance in International-Level Male Gymnasts

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