Supplement review: Beetroot juice

Updated: 28 Oct 2023

Beetroot juice has become a popular nutritional supplement for both professional and amateur athletes.
The main reason why beetroot juice and beetroot supplements have become popular is that they contain nitrates, which are converted to nitric oxide (NO) in the body. It is the NO that is associated with several benefits for health and performance.

A recent systematic review {Source} looked at the evidence on beetroot juice consumption for it’s effects on health and performance.

“Beetroot juice (BRJ) has become increasingly popular amongst athletes aiming to improve sportperformances. BRJ contains high concentrations of nitrate, which can be converted into nitric oxide (NO) after consumption.”
In the review they included 86 articles done on human and animal models and divided effects into several categories:
  • health benefits
  • effects on performance
    • in well-trained men / women
    • in recreational men / women
    • possible negative effects

Effects

  • dilates blood vessels and thus allows higher blood flow, which is important in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and as a performance enhancing supplement
  • reduces oxygen consumption (higher power)

Increase performance:

It seems that well-trained athletes don’t benefit from beetroot juice supplementation.

  • 1-3% for 12-40 minutes of activity
  • 4-25% increase in endurance (Source)
  • No acute increases on performance in sprints in soccer players.  (6 mmol of NO3, 3h before test) (source), however increased performance in High Intensity Intermittent Performance in recreational soccer athletes was observed after 6 weeks (140 mL) (source)
  • BRJ (120mL, 12.8 mmol NO3) increases Crossfit WOD performance when there is rest between anaerobic efforts (3’rests between Wall-Balls and Full back Squat)   (source)
  • BRJ supplementation in Division soccer players increased performance during Cooper test by 5% (+145m covered). (source)
Women Men
Well-trained Only 2 studies, no improvements. Increased time to exhaustion, high-intensity exercise, and maximal rowing reps. Also, decreased oxygen use, beneficial for performance. Inconclusive, depends on sport and testing method.
Amateur Effects on performance time, not endurance cadence. Improved time to exhaustion, maximal sprints, and high-intensity performance. Quicker recovery with short-term BRJ supplementation.

Dosing

  • 200g-500g baked beetroot, 2-3 hours before the activity
  • It seems that a chronic intake of ∼5-6 mmol of NO3 – in 70 ml of Beet Root Juice, twice a day, for a minimum of 3-6 days could lead to a fatigue resistance improvement (1.2-5.38%) during repeated sprints. (source)

Foods richest in nitrates are

  • Kale
  • Spinach
  • Arugula
However, you will do nothing wrong even if you add another dark leafy vegetable and the aforementioned beetroot to the menu.
There are a number of nutritional supplements on the market that promise to increase performance through nitrogen oxide. However, it is often NO3 that the body has to convert to NO! This conversion does not have to take place as it is affected by many factors, but there are supplements that contain NO (they have a patent and studies of a particular supplement on humans).
Beware, that most of the Beetroot supplements on the market don’t contain the amount of NO the producers state!
The average portion (100 g) of conventional or organic beetroot provided significantly more nitrates, nitrites, and substances with antioxidant properties than most of the DSs in capsules, tablets, and powders dosed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Possible risks of NO supplements

High concentrations of nitrates, as in the case of beet juice, can result in the formation of carcinogenic elements. (source)
I propose you eat your NO rich foods such as green leafy vegetables and beetroots and maybe reconsider habitual drinking of beetroot juices or extracts.
Keep in mind that the study pointed out a possible risk, not a causality.
Also, vitamin C seems to prevent formation of the carcinogenic compounds and this seems to play into the narrative of eating a varied diet rich in vegetables. That way you get nitrates, vit. C and a number of other minerals.
It is a nice example of how one nutrient in isolation can cause harm if consumed in excess but within the context of the food matrix, it is still beneficial.

Conclusion

Beetroot juice as a source of Nitric Oxide seems to work similarly to magnesium and other vitamin and mineral supplements – they provide benefits when one is deficient in them.
Physical activity also promotes the production of nitric oxide, which explains why well-trained athletes don’t seem to improve as much as less-trained people in the studies.
If you already have a sufficient amount nitrates in your diet, and your fintess level is high, you are unlikely to benefit to get additional health or performance benefits from beetroot juice, but a supplement providing nitric oxide could potentially help your performance.
If you want to learn more about nitric oxide visit podcast where you will find an in-depth information about nitric oxide.
Do you want grow beets at home? Here is a comprehensive guide to growing beets covering all that you need to know.

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