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Overview

1. From the vegetable patch to sports science
2. What the new meta-analysis investigated
3. The key findings
4. How meaningful is the effect in practice?
5. Why nitrate may matter
6. Dose, timing and intake strategy
7. What does this mean in practice?
8. Why beetroot is included in iüVitalizer
9. FAQ
10. Conclusion

From the vegetable patch to sports science

Beetroot is probably not one of the first foods that comes to mind when you think of elite performance. Yet it is naturally one of the richest dietary sources of nitrate. This high nitrate content has made beetroot juice one of the most intensively researched plant-based strategies in sports nutrition. It is also why endurance and professional athletes have used it before important competitions for years.

From a scientific perspective, nitrate is particularly interesting because the body can convert it through several steps into nitric oxide (NO). This signalling molecule is involved in the regulation of blood flow, oxygen delivery to tissues and processes that matter for muscle contraction and energy metabolism.

Over the past several years, numerous studies have examined whether these biological mechanisms translate into better exercise performance. Some reported benefits for endurance, maximal oxygen uptake or repeated sprint efforts. Others found only small differences or no measurable advantage over placebo. Such variation is common in nutrition and exercise science: training status, sport, dose, timing and study design can all influence the outcome.

To obtain a more reliable overall picture, researchers systematically combined the results of the available studies. The meta-analysis, published in June 2026 in Frontiers in Nutrition, addressed one central question:

Does beetroot juice improve aerobic and anaerobic exercise performance on average?

What the new meta-analysis investigated

A single study can only provide part of the answer. Results may differ depending on participant numbers, sport or study design. Meta-analyses are therefore among the most informative methods in evidence-based research: they systematically combine the results of multiple studies and analyse them together statistically. This helps researchers judge whether an effect is likely to be real rather than the product of chance or the peculiarities of one individual study.

For this review, the researchers searched six major scientific databases and Google Scholar for experimental studies in humans. Only studies that directly compared beetroot juice with a placebo condition were included.

In total, 33 studies involving 519 participants met the strict inclusion criteria. They included both professional athletes and well-trained recreational athletes from a range of disciplines. Many studies used a randomised crossover design. Each participant received both beetroot juice and placebo in a random order, with enough time between test periods. This means that every person effectively served as their own control, reducing the influence of individual differences such as training status or metabolism.

The researchers then combined the data and focused on three key performance outcomes:

The authors also evaluated the certainty of the evidence using the internationally established GRADE system, which considers factors such as risk of bias, consistency of results and overall strength of the data.

The key findings

Once the results of all 33 studies were combined, a clear overall pattern emerged: beetroot juice was associated with small to moderate improvements in exercise performance. Positive effects were seen in both traditional endurance measures and high-intensity efforts.

What does an effect size of 0.30 or 0.43 mean?

The SMD, or standardised mean difference, describes the size of the effect. It allows findings from different studies to be compared even when they use different tests or measurement scales.

• 0.2 = small effect
• 0.5 = medium effect
• 0.8 = large effect

The effects seen in this meta-analysis therefore sit in the small to moderate range. Beetroot juice is not a miracle solution, but under certain conditions it may make a measurable contribution to exercise performance.

The researchers also examined how closely the individual studies agreed with one another. This is known as heterogeneity. Heterogeneity was low for all three outcomes, meaning the study results were comparatively consistent and not driven solely by a few outliers.

How meaningful is the effect in practice?

Statistical significance does not automatically mean a spectacular improvement. The observed effect sizes were small to moderate. Beetroot juice will not turn an occasional jogger into an elite athlete, and it cannot replace training or recovery.

In competitive sport, however, even a small effect can matter. Races and matches are often decided by a few seconds, a handful of watts or the ability to produce one more sprint with less decline in performance.

Why nitrate may matter

The main reason beetroot juice is so intensively studied is its naturally high nitrate content. Nitrate does not supply energy in the way carbohydrates do, and it does not produce ATP directly. Instead, it influences biological processes that may affect how efficiently muscles work during exercise.

After ingestion, the body follows a well-established pathway:

Some of the nitrate enters the salivary glands through the bloodstream and is released back into the mouth. Certain bacteria on the tongue convert it into nitrite. Once swallowed, nitrite can be converted into nitric oxide in the stomach and other tissues, especially during intense exercise, when oxygen availability is lower and muscle tissue becomes more acidic.

Nitric oxide is an important signalling molecule. It helps regulate blood vessel relaxation and widening, which may improve blood flow and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to working muscles.

There is also evidence that nitric oxide may influence processes inside muscle cells, including mitochondrial function, oxygen efficiency and muscle contraction.

How could this influence performance?

• Improved blood flow to working muscles and more efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients.
• More efficient use of available oxygen, potentially reducing the energetic cost of a given workload.
• Lower oxygen cost at certain exercise intensities, which may delay fatigue.
• Support for muscle contraction, which may affect power output.
• Potential benefits during repeated high-intensity efforts, such as interval sessions and team sports.

Dose, timing and intake strategy

One practical question matters to many athletes: how much beetroot juice should you drink, and when?

The new meta-analysis does not provide one universal answer. The included studies used different products, nitrate doses and intake strategies. Most provided approximately 4 to 13 millimoles of nitrate, although some used amounts outside that range.

In most studies, beetroot juice was consumed two to three hours before exercise. This timing is biologically plausible because the body needs time to convert nitrate through nitrite into nitric oxide.

Some subgroup analyses found significant effects when beetroot juice was taken two to two and a half hours before exercise, but not at three hours. However, the difference between these timing groups was not itself statistically significant. The current evidence therefore does not identify one exact optimal time for everyone.

The same applies to duration of use. Some studies tested a single dose, while others used beetroot juice for several days or weeks. Both approaches produced positive findings in some studies, but no clear overall winner emerged.

What does this mean in practice?

The results suggest that beetroot juice may support exercise performance under certain conditions. The average effects were small to moderate, but they may still matter in performance sport, especially once the bigger fundamentals have already been optimised.

For recreational and competitive athletes alike, the main takeaway is simple: no single ingredient can replace training, recovery or a balanced diet. Performance always emerges from several factors working together.

Athletes looking to maximise their potential should therefore focus on the foundations first:

1. Consistent training that matches individual ability and goals.
2. Adequate recovery, because adaptation happens between sessions.
3. A balanced diet that provides sufficient energy and essential nutrients.
4. Targeted strategies, such as beetroot juice, may then become a useful addition before demanding training sessions or competitions.

New nutrition strategies should not be tested for the first time on race day. Taste, gastrointestinal tolerance and individual response vary. Anyone planning to use beetroot juice strategically should test it during training first.

Why beetroot is included in iüVitalizer

One plant ingredient within a broader system

Performance never depends on one ingredient alone

The meta-analysis helps explain why beetroot has become one of the best-studied plant foods in sports nutrition. At the same time, it highlights that exercise performance does not depend on one single mechanism. It arises from the interaction of many physiological processes, from energy production and muscle function to recovery.

That systems-based idea also sits behind iüVitalizer. Beetroot extract is deliberately included in the formula and combined with more than 30 other carefully selected ingredients, including creatine, taurine, rhodiola, quercetin, resveratrol and key vitamins and minerals.

Together, these ingredients are designed to address different aspects of energy metabolism and cellular function rather than relying on one isolated plant compound.

Discover the iüVitalizer Starter Pack

FAQ: beetroot and exercise performance

Can beetroot juice really improve exercise performance?

The new meta-analysis found small to moderate average improvements in VO₂max, mean power output and repeated high-intensity sprint performance. This does not mean every person or every product will produce the same result.

Which compound in beetroot is thought to matter most?

The main focus is its naturally occurring nitrate. The body can convert nitrate through nitrite into nitric oxide, a signalling molecule involved in blood flow, muscle function and mitochondrial processes.

When was beetroot juice consumed in the studies?

The final dose was taken two to three hours before the performance test in the included studies. The evidence does not identify one exact optimal time for everyone.

Is beetroot powder the same as beetroot juice?

No. Powders and juices can differ considerably in processing, concentration and nitrate content. The findings from this meta-analysis cannot automatically be transferred to every beetroot powder.

Is beetroot juice an alternative to training?

No. Training, sleep, recovery and an appropriate diet have a far greater influence. Beetroot juice can only ever be an additional strategy.

Conclusion: a small effect can still matter in sport

This new meta-analysis provides an interesting and relatively consistent signal: across 33 studies, beetroot juice was associated with small to moderate improvements in both aerobic and anaerobic performance measures.

The most plausible explanation is its natural nitrate content and the body's conversion of nitrate into nitric oxide. This pathway can influence processes relevant to blood flow, oxygen use, muscle function and mitochondrial activity.

The evidence was rated as moderate, and individual responses will vary. Even so, standardised beetroot juice may be a useful additional strategy for well-trained athletes, particularly where small differences in endurance, power or repeated sprint ability matter.

The central message is broader: performance never comes from one ingredient alone. It emerges from the combined effects of training, recovery, nutrition and cellular energy metabolism.

References