Effect of beetroot juice supplementation on aerobic response during swimming

The beneficial effects of beetroot juice supplementation (BJS) have been tested during cycling, walking, and running. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether BJS can also improve performance in swimmers. Fourteen moderately trained male master swimmers were recruited and underwen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients 2014-01, Vol.6 (2), p.605-615
Main Authors: Pinna, Marco, Roberto, Silvana, Milia, Raffaele, Marongiu, Elisabetta, Olla, Sergio, Loi, Andrea, Migliaccio, Gian Mario, Padulo, Johnny, Orlandi, Carmine, Tocco, Filippo, Concu, Alberto, Crisafulli, Antonio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
aerobic energy cost
Aged
Anaerobic threshold
Beta vulgaris - chemistry
Beverages
Carbon Dioxide - metabolism
Dietary Supplements
Electronic mail systems
Exercise
Heart Rate - physiology
Humans
Investigations
Male
Metabolism
Middle Aged
Nitrates
Nitric oxide
Oxygen Consumption - physiology
oxygen uptak
Physical fitness
Physiology
Plant Roots - chemistry
Pulmonary Ventilation - physiology
Swimming
Swimming - physiology
Workloads
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Summary:The beneficial effects of beetroot juice supplementation (BJS) have been tested during cycling, walking, and running. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether BJS can also improve performance in swimmers. Fourteen moderately trained male master swimmers were recruited and underwent two incremental swimming tests randomly assigned in a pool during which workload, oxygen uptake (VO₂), carbon dioxide production (VCO₂), pulmonary ventilation (VE), and aerobic energy cost (AEC) of swimming were measured. One was a control swimming test (CSW) and the other a swimming test after six days of BJS (0.5 l/day organic beetroot juice containing about 5.5 mmol of NO₃⁻). Results show that workload at anaerobic threshold was significantly increased by BJS as compared to the CSW test (6.3 ± 1 and 6.7 ± 1.1 kg during the CSW and the BJS test respectively). Moreover, AEC was significantly reduced during the BJS test (1.9 ± 0.5 during the SW test vs. 1.7 ± 0.3 kcal·kg⁻¹1·h⁻¹ during the BJS test). The other variables lacked a statistically significant effect with BJS. The present investigation provides evidence that BJS positively affects performance of swimmers as it reduces the AEC and increases the workload at anaerobic threshold.
ISSN:2072-6643
2072-6643
DOI:10.3390/nu6020605