Why is beetroot used in sports nutrition?

Beetroot is a natural source of inorganic nitrate. Following consumption, nitrate can be converted into nitrite and subsequently into nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide participates in the regulation of blood flow, vascular function and the efficiency with which muscles use oxygen.

Can it improve endurance?

Meta-analyses suggest that nitrate supplementation may produce a small improvement in selected endurance tests and exercise economy. Effects are often more noticeable in recreational or moderately trained individuals and less consistent in highly trained elite athletes.

A more recent 2025 review reported that outcomes depend on the population, type of exercise and supplementation protocol.

What about resistance training and sprinting?

Research has also examined muscular endurance, power and repeated high-intensity efforts. A review of beetroot-based supplements identified possible improvements in muscular endurance and a reduced decline in strength during fatiguing exercise.

However, a meta-analysis of cycling sprint performance found a benefit for only selected outcomes and not for mean or peak power.

Juice or concentrated supplement?

Nitrate content can vary considerably between regular beetroot juice and standardised concentrated products. For sports use, the disclosed amount of nitrate per serving is more informative than the total weight of beetroot alone.

Conclusion

Beetroot nitrate is one of the more interesting non-stimulant options for endurance and repeated-effort exercise. Potential improvements are generally small and depend on training status and product composition.

References

• McMahon NF et al. The Effect of Dietary Nitrate Supplementation on Endurance Exercise Performance in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Published: 2017.
• Evangelista JF et al. Effects of Beetroot-Based Supplements on Muscular Performance: A Systematic Review. Published: 2024.
• Tian C et al. Effects of Beetroot Juice on Physical Performance in Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Published: 2025.