Key result
Acute dietary nitrate supplementation did not significantly improve 10-km time-trial performance in well-trained runners at simulated altitude compared to placebo (2862 vs 2874 s; P=0.6).
Why the study?
Does acute dietary nitrate supplementation improve endurance running performance in well-trained athletes in normobaric hypoxia?
RCT (n=10)
Does acute dietary nitrate supplementation improve endurance running performance in well-trained athletes in normobaric hypoxia?
Mean Difference: 11 (95% CI -60–38)
Absolute Event Rate: 2862% vs 2874%
p-value: p=0.6
Acute dietary nitrate supplementation via beetroot juice does not significantly improve running performance or physiological responses in well-trained athletes under normobaric hypoxia.
Acute nitrate supplementation offers no endurance benefit in hypoxia; challenges prior positive reports and extends null findings to well-trained runners at simulated altitude.
We hypothesized that acute dietary nitrate (NO3(-)) provided as concentrated beetroot juice supplement would improve endurance running performance of well-trained runners in normobaric hypoxia. Ten male runners (mean (SD): sea level maximal oxygen uptake, 66 (7) mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); 10 km personal best, 36 (2) min) completed incremental exercise to exhaustion at 4000 m and a 10-km treadmill time-trial at 2500 m simulated altitude on separate days after supplementation with ∼7 mmol NO3(-) and a placebo at 2.5 h before exercise. Oxygen cost, arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were determined during the incremental exercise test. Differences between treatments were determined using means [95% confidence intervals], paired sample t tests, and a probability of individual response analysis. NO3(-) supplementation increased plasma nitrite concentration (NO3(-), 473 (226) nmol·L(-1) vs. placebo, 61 (37) nmol·L(-1), P < 0.001) but did not alter time to exhaustion during the incremental test (NO3(-), 402 (80) s vs. placebo 393 (62) s, P = 0.5) or time to complete the 10-km time-trial (NO3(-), 2862 (233) s vs. placebo, 2874 (265) s, P = 0.6). Further, no practically meaningful beneficial effect on time-trial performance was observed as the 11 [-60 to 38] s improvement was less than the a priori determined minimum important difference (51 s), and only 3 runners experienced a "likely, probable" performance improvement. NO3(-) also did not alter oxygen cost, arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate, or RPE. Acute dietary NO3(-) supplementation did not consistently enhance running performance of well-trained athletes in normobaric hypoxia.
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Arnold et al. (2015) conducted an RCT in Well-trained runners in normobaric hypoxia (n=10). Concentrated beetroot juice supplement vs. Placebo was evaluated on Time to complete the 10-km time-trial at 2500 m simulated altitude (MD 11 s improvement, 95% CI -60 to 38, p=0.6). Acute dietary nitrate supplementation did not significantly improve 10-km time-trial performance in well-trained runners at simulated altitude compared to placebo (2862 vs 2874 s; P=0.6).
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