Can beetroot improve physical performance?

Performance benefits attributed to beetroot consumption have been seen across studies in cycling (Cermak et al, 2012), middle distance running events (Shannon et al, 2017) and activities requiring repeated intermittent high intensity sprints, such as competitive team sports (Thompson et al, 2016). The pursuit of enhanced sports performance has led athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike to explore various dietary supplements, with beetroot emerging as a regular race day boost.

Rich in dietary nitrates, found to underpin the ergogenic effect of beetroot, this vibrant vegetable has been the focus of numerous studies investigating its impact on sports performance. Research strongly supports both one-time dosing (2-3 hours prior to exercise) or chronic dosing (daily for 3-7 days) to give a performance advantage. The physiological benefits associated with the consumption of beetroot stem primarily from its ability to increase nitric oxide production, a compound known to enhance blood flow, reduce oxygen cost during exercise, and support overall endurance.

This blog post aims to dissect the optimal timing and dosage of beetroot supplementation to maximise its effects on athletic performance, drawing on scientific research to provide a comprehensive analysis for athletes, gym-goers and competitive sports participants seeking to elevate their training outcomes.

What are dietary nitrates? Understanding Beetroot and its components.

Sometimes called inorganic nitrate (or simply nitrate), dietary nitrate (NO3-) is a molecule composed of one nitrogen atom bound to three oxygen atoms oxygen, carrying a negative 1 charge. These are naturally occurring in the human diet and are found in higher concentrations in certain foods such as beetroot, leafy greens and some other root vegetables – an interesting comparison is available here. Beetroot appears to provide the most bioavailable nitrate source compared with other vegetables (Jones et al, 2018), with 100g of fresh vegetable typically providing around 250mg of dietary nitrate.

As a convenient source of nitrate, concentrated beetroot juice has undergone extensive research in the context of boosting athletic performance (Knapik et al, 2016), and is consistently found to give a performance enhancing effect. Beetroot is naturally rich in dietary nitrates, and concentrated beetroot drinks or beetroot shots further increase the levels of nitrates available to athletes. A 70ml beetroot shot, popular from brands such as Beet-It, provides 400mg of nitrate, while some beetroot powders can contain over 500mg in just an 18g serving providing real convenience to athletes.

How do nitrates enhance sports performance? Mechanisms of improvement

The benefits of beetroot on athletic performance were found almost by accident and much research by Andy Jones and the Exeter Group has since refined what we know. When consumed (orally) nitrate is reduced to nitrite (NO2-) by bacteria on and around the tongue, and as nitrite subsequently enters the blood stream it can be reduced to nitric oxide (NO), elevating blood NO levels. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator responsible for enhancing blood flow which increases oxygen supply to the working muscle, thereby enhancing endurance performance (Rojas-Valverde et al. 2022).

Supplementation of nitrate typically increases Plasma Nitrite (NO2-) levels (Wylie et al, 2013). Plasma NO2- is a sensitive biomarker of NO bioavailability (Lundberg et al, 2008) so this increased circulating NO2- allows great NO production when demanded by exercise at high relative work rate e.g. 1500m track run or 10km cycling time trial, where acidosis and hypoxia occur.

Nitrate supplementation has been found to reduce the oxygen cost of sustained sub-maximal exercise (Larsen et al, 2007), specifically cycling at a fixed power output, by around 3-5% (Bailey et al, 2009) suggesting an improved efficiency of skeletal muscle. This directly feeds into the importance of running economy, which has become something of a buzz-phrase with performance-minded runners – and with good reason. A lower oxygen cost of exercise allows a runner to hold a higher pace for a given duration, or maintain a given pace for a longer period of time.

Thompson et al (2015) tested nitrate supplementation on participants undergoing a protocol designed to simulate team sports such as rugby, football and hockey, consisting of 2 x 40 minute halves, testing repeated sprints and concurrent cognitive tests. Compared with the placebo group, the nitrate supplementation resulted in more total work done, and improved maintenance of speed and accuracy of decision making during the second half of the test. This supports the use of beetroot drinks and nitrate products to aid performance in team sports and demonstrated a cognitive benefit as well as the more widely accepted physiological benefit.

What is Nitric Oxide? The crucial Role of NO in Exercise Physiology

Nitric Oxide (NO) is a vital, gaseous signalling molecule that aids control of vascular health and blood flow and consequently oxygen delivery to working muscles. Nitric Oxide must be continually available for functions relating to metabolism and muscle contraction, but has an extremely short half life in the body, so must be synthesised as required to meet demand. Increased NO levels signal vasodilation which increases blood flow to skeletal muscles. This makes more oxygen and nutrients available to feed your muscles and support endurance performance.

The body has two independent pathways to produce nitic oxide naturally. These pathways work together in parallel to ensure sufficient NO bioactivity, particularly in regulating blood pressure and improving exercise performance.

Firstly, is the Nitrate-Nitrite-NO Reductive Pathway, which utilises the Enterosalivary Cycle. Dietary nitrates (NO3-) particularly from leafy greens and beetroot, can be absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal-mucosa. However about 25% is sequestered by the salivary glands (Koch et al, 2016), concentrated in saliva up to 20 times greater than in plasma of the blood, and reduced to nitrite (NO2-) by commensal bacteria on and around the tongue. When converted to nitrite and swallowed the acidic conditions of the stomach can convert nitrite to Nitric Oxide (NO). Alternatively nitrate can be reduced to NO in the blood and tissues by haemoglobin, myoglobin or enzymes such as xanthine oxidoreductase.

This nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide chain is an oxygen-independent (or low-oxygen) pathway and is enhanced during hypoxia (low-oxygen) or acidosis (low pH). This makes it particularly important in skeletal muscles and therefore during intense exercise.

Secondly, the L-Arginine-NO-Oxidative Pathway is an endogenous pathway involving the conversion of the amino acid L-arginine into nitric oxide and L-citrulline, requiring a catalyst. This reaction is catalysed by a family of enzymes known as Nitric Oxide Synthases (NOS), which require oxygen to function effectively.

What’s the recommended daily nitrate dose for athletes? Optimal dose of beetroot

Recent evidence suggests that the optimal ergogenic dose of dietary nitrate for athletes is approximately 6–12 mmol of nitrate per day (roughly 370–750 mg nitrate), usually delivered through concentrated beetroot juice (Jones, 2022). A 2024 umbrella review concluded that acute (2–3 h pre-exercise) and chronic supplementation (3-7 days), to achieve nitrate levels of 8.3–16.4 mmol, are recommended to enhance physical performance (Tian et al, 2025).

Similarly, a systematic review of endurance athletes found that the recommended acute beetroot dosage delivers around 6–12.4 mmol of nitrate day (370-750mg/day) administered 2–3 h before activity, with comparable chronic dosing used over 6–15 days (Calvo et al, 2020).

Whilst the dose of at least 370mg of dietary nitrate is shown to give performance advantage in a dose-dependent manor, there appears no further boost from doses above 740mg (Jones, 2022).

When should I consume beetroot juice for maximum benefit? Timing your nitrate intake

Most studies recommend consuming beetroot juice approximately 2–3 hours before exercise, which corresponds with peak plasma nitrite availability. Research consistently shows that this timing maximizes nitric oxide production and improves blood flow, oxygen efficiency, and exercise economy.

There is also evidence that chronic supplementation (typically 3–7 days) may produce greater endurance benefits than a single ‘acute’ dose. A 2022 meta-analysis reported a “small, borderline effect in favour of chronic nitrate intervention,” especially for endurance time-trial performance lasting 5–30 minutes.

What are the best alternative nitrate sources to beetroot shots? Method of delivery

Although beetroot juice remains the most studied nitrate supplement, alternative nitrate-rich foods include spinach, rocket (arugula), celery, lettuce, and nitrate salts such as sodium or potassium nitrate. A 2024 review noted that “the natural dietary route… is the generally accepted form of nitrate supplementation,” but also highlighted that nitrate salts can produce similar physiological effects when matched for nitrate content.

Researchers also emphasize that nitrate concentration varies considerably between commercial beetroot products, making standardized nitrate dosing important for athletes. Green leafy vegetables may offer a practical whole-food alternative, particularly for athletes who experience gastrointestinal discomfort from concentrated beetroot shots.

Some mix at home beetroot drinks are available as alternatives to shots, such as VOOM’s beetroot Rocket Beet drink, which packs 500mg nitrate per serve.

How much does Beetroot juice improve performance? Quantifying Beetroot as an Ergogenic aid in Endurance Sports

Beetroot juice is one of the most well-supported dietary supplements available to athletes (Maughan et al, 2018) with the performance improvements associated with inorganic nitrate supplementation generally modest but meaningful in competitive endurance sport. Meta-analyses show improvements in exercise economy, delayed fatigue, and small gains in time-trial performance, particularly in events lasting between 5 and 30 minutes.

A recent umbrella review reported statistically significant improvements in endurance-related outcomes (Poon et al, 2025) analysing data from 22 meta-analyses, covering 180 primary studies and over 2,600 individual participants. Effect sizes were described as small, although statistically significant. Nonetheless, even a 1–3% enhancement in endurance performance can be important in elite competition settings.

Does Beetroot Juice Aid Strength training? What the research says

In endurance-based exercise the benefits of nitrates appear most pronounced in untrained and moderately trained athletes rather than elite performers, but sprint and maximal power activities may prove an exception where performers of all levels, including professional athletes, may still see benefits.

Coggan et al (2015) investigated the effect of beetroot juice supplementation on the speed and power of contraction in a knee extensor task. Maximal angular velocity was improved and maximal power was increased by around 4% with beetroot juice supplementation in healthy males and females, compared with a placebo.

The evidence for strength and resistance-training benefits is less consistent than for endurance exercise. Some studies show improvements in muscular power, force production, and fatigue resistance, while others report minimal changes in maximal strength outcomes.

The latest umbrella review concluded that beetroot juice “improves muscular strength in professional athletes,” but the effects appear highly dependent on training status, exercise type, and supplementation protocol. The review found that whilst endurance benefits are minimised in elite level athletes, benefits to strength can be more noticeable to this well-trained population. Current evidence still suggests beetroot juice may be more useful for repeated high-intensity efforts and muscular endurance than for maximal one-repetition strength performance alone.

References from Scientific Literature

• Cermak N.M., Gibala M.J., Van Loon L.J. Nitrate supplementation’s improvement of 10-km time-trial performance in trained cyclists. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metabol. 2012;22:64–71.
• Jones, AM Dietary nitrate and exercise performance: New strings to the beetroot bow. SSE #222. 2022.
• Kiani A. K., Bonetti G., Medori M.C., Caruso P., Manganotti P., Fioretti F., et al. (2022). Dietary supplements for improving nitric-oxide synthesis. J. Prev. Med. Hyg. 63, E239–E245
• Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, Larson-Meyer DE, Peeling P, Phillips SM, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. (2018) 28:104–25
• Poon, E.T-C., Chun-Kit lu, J., Man-Kuk Sum, W., Wong, P.-S., Ka-Hei Lo, K., Ali, A., Burns, S.F., Trexler, E.T. Dietary Nitrate Supplementation and Exerciser Performance: An Umbrella Review of 20 Published Systematic Reviews with Meta-analyses. Sports Med. 2025 Mar 14; 55(5):1213-1231
• Shannon O.M., Barlow M.J., Duckworth L., Williams E., Wort G., Woods D., Siervo M., O’Hara J.P. Dietary nitrate supplementation enhances short but not longer duration running time-trial performance. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2017 Apr;117(4):775-785.
• Thompson C., Vanhatalo A., Jell H., Fulford J., Carter J., Nyman L., Bailey S.J., Jones A.M. Dietary nitrate supplementation improves sprint and high-intensity intermittent running performance. Nitric Oxide. 2016 Dec 30;61:55-61.