Author(s): HO, C.J., HUN-YOUNG, P., Institution: KONKUK UNIVERSITY, SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, Country: KOREA, SOUTH, Abstract-ID: 535

INTRODUCTION:
In the sports field, the supplementation of beet root juice (BRJ) is recognized as a popular nutritional supplement that can enhance the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) during exercise, leading to improved athletic performance [1, 2]. However, considering the diverse characteristics of various research groups, there is a lack of conclusive evidence regarding the impact of acute dietary dietary intake of BRJ on endurance exercise performance [2]. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of acute dietary intake of BRJ on metabolic function, skeletal muscle oxygenation levels, and cardiovascular function during endurance submaximal exercise in healthy men.
METHODS:
Ten healthy men (aged 25.2 ± 2.3 years) completed 30-minute submaximal cycle ergometer exercise trials corresponding to 70% maximal heart rate (136.4 ± 1.5 bpm) with either placebo or BRJ in a random order. Participants visited a total of three times, with the first visit involving a familiarization process. During the second and third visits, they were instructed to consume a placebo or BRJ on 2.5 hours before exercise. During exercise, average exercise load, rate of perceived exertion, heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, minute ventilation, oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide excretion, respiratory exchange ratio, oxygen pulse (O2pulse), oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated hemoglobin, total hemoglobin, tissue oxygenated saturation, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and total peripheral resistance were measured. The brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were measured before and after exercise.
RESULTS:
BRJ intake resulted in an increased average exercise load (p = 0.035, ηp 2 = 0.406) during submaximal exercise, accompanied by an elevation in corresponding increases in VO2 (p = 0.048, ηp 2 = 0.367) and O2pulse (p = 0.033, ηp 2 = 0.413). Additionally, it resulted in a decreased DBP (p = 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.699) and MAP (p = 0.007, ηp 2 = 0.574) during submaximal exercise and a reduced baPWV (p = 0.049, ηp 2 = 0.365) while increasing FMD (p = 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.723) before and after exercise.
CONCLUSION:
The study confirmed that acute dietary intake of BJR resulted in an improvement in O2pulse during endurance exercise at 70%HRmax, leading to an increased exercise load and corresponding VO2. Furthermore, it has been established that it is effective in enhancing cardiovascular function. Therefore, the present study established that acute dietary intake of BJR has greater potential than placebo intake in enhancing endurance exercise capacity.