Beetroot juice and short bursts of hard exercise
What it found
In nine small studies in people, beetroot juice improved performance in some short, repeated high-intensity efforts but not others.
Results varied with the dose, timing and type of exercise.
What they found
Studies in people
Mixed results overall
Four of the nine studies found significantly better performance with beetroot juice, four found no effect, and one found worse performance compared with a placebo.
Repeated sprints
In one study, 7 days of beetroot juice improved total work by 3.5% during a simulated team sport match with 6-second sprints and 14-second rests. Another study found about 7% better mean power over a session of 6-second efforts with 24-second rests.
Resistance training
Six days of beetroot juice increased the number of bench press repetitions by 18.9% in three sets at 60% of one-repetition maximum.
Longer efforts
No improvements were seen in tests with 30-second or 60-second work intervals, which rely more on glycolytic metabolism.
Timing matters
One study gave beetroot juice 120 minutes before exercise and found worse performance, while the authors note that peak nitrite levels occur 2 to 3 hours after intake and recommend taking it at least 150 to 180 minutes before.
Muscle fatigue
Some studies suggested beetroot juice improved indicators of muscular fatigue, but the mechanism is unclear. One study found better recovery of counter-movement jump height after sprints in the supplement group.
What the authors conclude
“Supplementation with beetroot juice has been shown to diminish the muscular fatigue associated with high-intensity exercise efforts, though it is not known if this is achieved by reducing fatigue and muscle damage and/or promoting muscle regeneration postexercise.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say beetroot juice has been shown to diminish the muscular fatigue associated with high-intensity exercise efforts, though it is not known if this is by reducing fatigue and muscle damage or by promoting muscle regeneration after exercise.
- They conclude that beetroot juice could help recovery of phosphocreatine reserves and avoid its depletion during repeated efforts, and could help power production linked to faster muscle shortening velocity.
- They advise that future studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine the best timing of supplementation.
How it was done
Athletes often use supplements to gain a small edge, but many label claims are not backed by clear evidence. The authors wanted to see whether beetroot juice helps with short, repeated hard efforts, which rely on different energy systems than endurance exercise.
They searched five databases for studies published from 2010 to March 2017 and found nine that tested beetroot juice in adults during intermittent high-intensity exercise. The studies included 120 people in total, 107 men and 13 women, with single doses or 5 to 7 days of supplementation.
What it can’t tell you
- The review is based on only nine small studies with different doses, timing and exercise tests, so the results cannot be generalised to all people or all types of exercise.
- Most participants were men, so the findings may not apply equally to women.
- The studies measured performance in specific tests, so they cannot show whether beetroot juice affects long-term health or other types of exercise.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Not applicable.Not applicable.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
- Authors work at
- Alfonso X El Sabio University, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Spain; University of Lavras, Brazil
The paper
- Title
- Effects of beetroot juice supplementation on intermittent high-intensity exercise efforts
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Domínguez R, Maté-Muñoz JL, Cuenca E, et al (2018). Effects of beetroot juice supplementation on intermittent high-intensity exercise efforts. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0204-9Free full textPubMed 29311764DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error