Effects of Beet Juice and Diet in Female Rowers

The Effects of Beetroot Supplementation and Habitual Dietary Nitrate Intake on Exercise Performance in Collegiate Female Rowing Athletes

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of nitrate-rich beetroot juice supplementation on exercise performance in female rowers when accounting for habitual vegetable nitrate consumption.

The objective is to use a stratified block randomization, double-blind crossover trial to test rowing ergometer exercise performance after drinking a beetroot juice supplement and compare it to the same test after consuming a placebo (a nitrate-free version of the beetroot juice supplement) in a convenience sample of athletes from a single Division 1-A collegiate women's rowing team.

Before testing, the participants' habitual vegetable nitrate consumption will be assessed from their report of foods consumed in the past 24 hours. Estimates of dietary nitrate intake will be calculated from the quantity of vegetables consumed and used to determine whether dietary nitrate intake influences the efficacy of the beetroot juice supplement.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy
• Athletes currently on the university's rowing team

Exclusion Criteria:

• Injuries or medical conditions that prevent participation in their team's rowing training program
• Diagnosis of stage 2 iron deficiency
• Unable to consume beet juice for any reason