Beetroot juice and aerobic capacity in female athletes
What it found
In 18 female endurance athletes, drinking beetroot juice before an exercise test improved several measures of breathing and heart efficiency, and maximal oxygen consumption rose by 4.82%.
The placebo group showed a small drop in the same measure.
What they found
Studies in people
Maximal oxygen consumption
Maximal oxygen consumption rose by 4.82% in the beetroot juice group, from 35.24 to 36.94 mL per minute per kg. It fell by 0.57% in the placebo group.
Breathing efficiency
Minute ventilation dropped in the beetroot juice group, from 76.56 to 70.22 L per minute, while it rose in the placebo group. The ratio of ventilation to oxygen consumption also fell in the beetroot group but rose slightly in the placebo group.
Heart rate
Average heart rate fell from 165 to 162 beats per minute in the beetroot juice group. It rose from 160 to 164 beats per minute in the placebo group.
Carbon dioxide exchange
The ratio of ventilation to carbon dioxide output fell in the beetroot juice group, from 0.030 to 0.028. It rose in the placebo group.
What the authors conclude
“These findings indicate that beetroot juice may be an effective ergogenic aid, enhancing oxygen utilization and energy production during exercise in female athletes.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that beetroot juice may be an effective ergogenic aid, enhancing oxygen utilization and energy production during exercise in female athletes.
- They say beetroot juice could contribute to improved athletic performance and serve as a valuable addition to athletes' nutritional plans.
- They advise that future studies should explore the long-term effects, optimal dosages, and duration of supplementation in larger and more diverse populations.
How it was done
The authors note that women make up only 4 to 13 percent of participants in sports science studies, so supplement advice is often based on men. They wanted to test beetroot juice in female athletes while accounting for menstrual cycle phase.
They recruited 18 healthy female endurance athletes, aged 22.9 years on average, and randomly split them into two groups of 9. One group drank 50 mL of beetroot juice concentrate with about 6.2 mmol nitrate two and a half hours before a second exercise test, while the other group drank a nitrate-free placebo. Both groups did a cardiopulmonary exercise test on a bike, one week apart.
What it can’t tell you
- The study was small, with only 9 women in each group, so the results may not apply to all female athletes.
- It only looked at one dose of beetroot juice taken before a single exercise test, so it cannot show what happens with long-term use.
- The women were tested only during the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle, so the findings may not apply to other phases.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- Riga Stradins University, Latvia; Institute of Innovative Biomedical Technology, Latvia
The paper
- Title
- Effect of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Aerobic Capacity in Female Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Neteca J, Veseta U, Liepina I, Volgemute K, Dzintare M, Babarykin D (2024). Effect of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Aerobic Capacity in Female Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu17010063Free full textPubMed 39796497DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error