Beetroot juice and nitrate-rich supplements, popular among endurance athletes, have little effect on swimmers' physical performance. That's the conclusion of the authors of a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal Scientific Reports, according to infohub.kz.
As News Medical notes, nitrates and bioactive compounds in beetroot juice cause vasodilation and improve nitric oxide bioavailability, reducing oxygen consumption during exercise. Previously, this showed modest positive results in running and cycling.
However, an analysis of 12 studies covering more than a hundred athletes of varying fitness levels showed that in swimming these mechanisms provide no time advantage. Taking beetroot juice before races had no statistically significant effect on speed over short, middle, or sprint distances.
Blood lactate levels after finishing also remained identical to those of the placebo group, indicating a similar level of metabolic fatigue. The only effect recorded was a slight reduction in subjective fatigue on the Borg scale, but it did not lead to actual performance improvement.
The review authors note that current data are insufficient to recommend beetroot juice as an ergogenic aid for professional swimmers.