Combined blood flow restriction training and beetroot juice improve knee strength and reduce fatigue in college athletes

Supplementation with beetroot juice (BRJ) alongside blood flow restriction (BFR) training improved knee extensor strength and fatigue resistance in 21 male college athletes.

• Both BFR and BFR+BRJ interventions significantly enhanced knee extensor/flexor peak torque and power at 60°/s and 180°/s.
• BFR+BRJ participants showed a more marked improvement in the second half of a 100-repetition maximal voluntary contraction test.
• The BFR+BRJ group exhibited a greater reduction in the rate of decline in peak torque, peak power, and average power after fatigue compared to the BFR group.
• Participants in the BFR+BRJ group maintained higher anaerobic power output for a longer duration than before the intervention.
• The BFR group showed improvements in anaerobic power output limited to the initial 3-10 seconds.

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