Effects of Acute Beetroot Juice Supplementation and Exercise on Cardiovascular Function in Healthy Men in Preliminary Study: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, and Crossover Trial

Abstract

Nitrate-rich beetroot juice (NRBRJ) can potentially enhance exercise performance and improve cardiovascular function, leading to an increased use of NRBRJ over the years. However, the combined effects of NRBRJ supplementation and exercise on cardiovascular function remain unclear. Therefore, this study compared cardiovascular function responses to submaximal exercise with either placebo (PLA) or NRBRJ supplementation in healthy men. Twelve healthy men (aged 25.2 ± 2.3 years) completed the 30-min submaximal cycle ergometer exercise trials corresponding to 70% maximal heart rate (HRmax) with either PLA or NRBRJ supplementation in a random order. The mean exercise load, heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were measured during exercise. The brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were measured before and after exercise. NRBRJ supplementation was more effective than PLA in increasing the mean exercise load and decreasing DBP and MAP during submaximal exercise. Furthermore, baPWV decreased in the NRBRJ trial and was considerably lower after exercise in the NRBRJ-supplemented group than in the PLA-supplemented group. FMD significantly increased in the PLA and NRBRJ trials; however, NRBRJ supplementation demonstrated a significantly higher FMD before and after exercise than PLA supplementation. In conclusion, acute NRBRJ supplementation and exercise were more effective than PLA supplementation and exercise in improving aerobic exercise capacity and cardiovascular function in healthy men.