Beetroot
Beetroot / Dietary Nitrates
A natural source of nitrates that boosts nitric oxide, improving blood flow, endurance, and exercise performance.
Beetroot is rich in dietary nitrates that convert to nitric oxide in the body, enhancing blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles. It's one of the top 5 evidence-based ergogenic aids, particularly effective for endurance activities lasting 4-30 minutes.
Mechanisms of Action
Nitric Oxide Production
Dietary nitrates convert to nitric oxide in the body
Oxygen Efficiency
Reduces oxygen cost of exercise
Blood Vessel Dilation
Widens blood vessels for better flow
Recommended Dose
400-500mg nitrates (or 500ml beetroot juice)
Loading: Can 'load' for 3-6 days before competition for enhanced effects
Optimal Timing
- 2-3 hours before exercise
Take with food
Best Form
Concentrated beetroot shots (70ml)
Alternatives: Beetroot juice (500ml), Beetroot powder, Whole beets
Concentrated shots are most practical and consistent. 500ml juice provides ~400mg nitrates. Powder can be mixed into smoothies. Avoid cooking beets as heat reduces nitrates.
Duration
Minimum: 1 days
Optimal: 1 days
Cycling: Not required
Note: Peak nitric oxide levels occur 2-3 hours post-ingestion. Can also be taken daily for cumulative benefits. Avoid mouthwash as it kills oral bacteria needed for nitrate conversion.
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Better Endurance
Improved time to exhaustion and time trial performance
Lower Blood Pressure
Modest reduction in blood pressure
Red/Pink Urine
Beetroot pigments color urine and stool
GI Discomfort
Some experience stomach upset
Beets are food; concentrated supplements less studied
Not banned; legal ergogenic aid
Who Should NOT Take This
- Kidney stones (high oxalate content)
- Already very low blood pressure
Drug Interactions
Both lower blood pressure; additive effect
May enhance blood pressure lowering
Possible Side Effects
Tip: Normal and harmless; not blood
Tip: Take with food; try different form
Warnings
- Don't use antibacterial mouthwash - kills bacteria needed for nitrate conversion
- Red urine is normal, not blood
- Effects may be reduced in highly trained athletes
Creatine
complementaryDifferent mechanisms for performance enhancement
Beetroot for endurance, creatine for power
Beta-Alanine
stacks-wellBoth improve high-intensity exercise performance
Enhanced endurance through different pathways
Cordyceps
complementaryDifferent mechanisms for endurance
Cordyceps for ATP, beetroot for nitric oxide
L-Citrulline
enhancesBoth boost nitric oxide through different pathways
Maximized nitric oxide production and blood flow
Top studies from 40+ peer-reviewed papers
Senefeld JW et al. • Sports Medicine (2025)
“Dietary nitrate supplementation benefits exercise performance across multiple meta-analyses.”
Key Findings:
- 8.3-16.4 mmol (515-1017 mg) nitrate recommended
- Acute and chronic supplementation both effective
- More effective under hypoxic conditions or fatigue
Wang Y et al. • Nutrients (2025)
“Professional athletes showed muscular strength benefits while non-athletes had aerobic endurance improvements.”
Key Findings:
- Population-specific effects identified
- Muscular strength benefits in athletes (SMD=0.27)
- Aerobic endurance improvements in non-athletes (SMD=0.26)
Domínguez R et al. • Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2025)
“Creatine supplementation demonstrated ergogenic benefits for competitive swimmers, although the evidence supporting the use of this supplement is still limited.”
Key Findings:
- This revision included 23 studies, 16 of them (69.6%) qualified as excellent and 7 (30.4%) as good at the methodological level based on the punctuation in the PEDro scale.
- The systematic review included 422 swimmers (61.8% male, 38.2% female), with distances assessed ranging from 50 m to 800 m, including studies employing interval procedures.
- Creatine showed a significant effect (ES = -0.46; 95% CIs = -0.75 to -0.17, p = 0.002; I2 = 11%) on swimming performance, while the rest of the analyzed supplements did not show significant effects (all p > 0.05).
Wu D et al. • Frontiers in immunology (2025)
“This systematic review confirms that the efficacy of dietary polyphenols is significantly composition-specific.”
Key Findings:
- This systematic review confirms that the efficacy of dietary polyphenols is significantly composition-specific.
- Curcumin and salidroside can improve the course of COPD by regulating blood pressure, inflammation, and the coagulation pathway, supporting the hypothesis of "polyphenol targeting of metabolic-inflammatory networks".
- However, the possible negative effects of anthocyanins warn against ingredient heterogeneity.
- Clinical significance: Curcumin (200-500 mg/day) and tanshinone are recommended as adjuvant treatment options for COPD, but blind combination should be avoided; the safety of ingredients such as quercetin needs to be further verified.
Jurek JM et al. • Nutrients (2025)
“Further research is needed to validate these effects and ensure their safety in MASLD management.”
Key Findings:
- Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become one of the most prevalent liver diseases, affecting up to 40% of adults and strongly associated with obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
- Liver enzymes improved following consumption of WGPs, BJ, sour tea, flaxseed oil, and garlic, and hepatic steatosis was reduced after intake of oranges, WGPs, HFBs, BJ, flaxseed powder, rapeseed oil, and garlic powder.
- Conversely, a solely fruit-rich diet (FRD) had negative effects across all outcomes.
- Conclusions: Plant-based foods improved metabolic outcomes, with WGPs, HFBs, beetroot, oranges, sour tea, flaxseed oil, and garlic providing specific benefits for liver health.
Study Type Distribution
Goals This Supplement Supports
Related Goals
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any supplement.