Effects of acute beetroot juice intake on performance, maximal oxygen uptake, and ventilatory efficiency in well-trained master rowers: a randomized, double-blinded crossover study

Abstract

Background: Beetroot juice (BRJ) intake has been considereda practical nutritional strategy among well-trained athletes. Thisstudy aimed to assess the effects of BRJ intake on performance,cardiorespiratory and metabolic variables during a simulated2000-meter rowing ergometer test in well-trained masterrowers.Method: Ten well-trained male master rowers (30–48 years) parti-cipated in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design for 3weeks. In the first week, a researcher explained all the experimentalprocedures to the participants. In the next two weeks, the partici-pants were tested in 2 rowing ergometer sessions, separated fromeach other by a 7-day washout period. In both strictly identicalsessions, the participants randomly drank BRJ or placebo (PL) 3hours before the start of the tests. Subsequently, the participantscarried out the 2000-meter rowing ergometer tests. [...]