Acute dietary nitrate supplementation to improve performance in endurance trained athletes

Six days of dietary nitrate supplementation in the form of beetroot juice (~0.5
L•d-1) has been purported to reduce pulmonary oxygen uptake (VO2) during
submaximal exercise and increase tolerance to high-intensity workloads. These
results suggest that dietary nitrate supplementation has the potential to act
as an ergogenic aid. Recently, we assessed submaximal oxygen uptake and 10 km
time trial performance after 6 d of dietary nitrate supplementation in trained
cyclists. We demonstrated an improvement in time trial performance compared to
the nitrate-depleted placebo. However, the minimal dosage and duration of
nitrate supplementation that is needed to elicit these performance effects
remain largely unknown. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to assess
performance capacity following an acute dose of nitrate supplementation
consumed 3 h prior to the onset of exercise in trained cyclists. We will test
the hypothesis that a single dose (140 mL; ~8 mmol NO3-) of dietary nitrate
supplementation (beetroot juice) ingested 3 h prior to exercise will improve
time trial performance in trained cyclists compared to the nitrate-depleted
placebo

To assess time trial performance following 1x140 mL dose of concentrated
beetroot juice containing ~8 mmol of nitrate (NO3-) ingested 3 h prior to the
onset of exercise.

Double-blind, randomized cross-over placebo controlled study

beetrootjuice

small risk of haematoma