Effects of an Isotonic Beetroot Drink on Power Output During Sprint Exercise and Jump Performance in Physically Active Individuals: A Randomized Crossover Trial

Exogenous nitrate ingestion can improve exercise performance. This study investigated whether an isotonic beetroot drink could improve jump and sprint performance in active individuals. Twenty-three physically active participants (17 males, 6 females) (mean ± SD; age: 26 ± 4 years; body mass index: 22.4 ± 1.9 kg/m²) completed a double-blind, randomized, cross-over study where they consumed 570mL of either beetroot juice drink (BR) or isotonic beetroot juice drink (ISO-BR) three hours before performing countermovement (CMJ) and standing broad jump (SBJ) tests and a 30-second all-out sprint on a cycle ergometer. Both drinks contained equal nitrate (12.9 mmol) and carbohydrate (6.1g per 100mL) content but differed in osmolality (BR: 420 mOsm/kg vs. ISO-BR: 315 mOsm/kg). Salivary total nitrate and nitrite concentrations (NOx) 3 hours post-ingestion were significantly higher after consuming ISO-BR than BR. ISO-BR significantly improved peak power output compared to BR by 3.9% (ISO-BR: 11.4 ± 2.5 W/kg vs. BR: 11.0 ± 2.3 W/kg, <i>p</i> = .04) but not time to peak power (ISO-BR: 2.8 ± 1.7 s vs. BR: 2.9 ± 1.6 s, <i>p</i> = .62) or mean power output (ISO-BR: 7.3 ± 1.5 W/kg vs. BR: 7.3 ± 1.5 W/kg, <i>p</i> = .37). There were no significant differences in CMJ or SBJ between trials (<i>p</i> > .05). Sensory evaluation indicated that ISO-BR was preferred by 91% (n = 21) of participants compared with BR (average score; ISO-BR: 5.52 vs. BR: 3.52, <i>p</i> < .05). An ISO-BR drink improved peak power output during sprint cycling but not jump performance compared with BR alone, potentially via increased NO_x.