Nitrates for performance- Our very own NOS button?

Over the past 5 or so years, dietary nitrates have gained a lot of attention and research in the world of sports performance. They have gained interest as another ergogenic aid. An ergogenic aid is any substance which has the potential to increase athletic performance (see Caffeine intake). Dietary nitrates are something you may or may not have heard of but hopefully this provides a good snapshot.

So what are they?

Dietary nitrates are naturally occurring in certain vegetables and most commonly seen, accessible & studied in beetroots/beetroot juice. Some supplements/products are on the market but daily nitrate doses can be achievable with other nitrate rich vegetables such as spinach, lettuce or whole beets themselves. In our body, these dietary nitrates are converted into nitric oxide. Our very own NOS button- Fast & Furious 75 here we come.  

How does it affect performance?

Dietary nitrates have a number of effects relevant to endurance performance. They include vasodilation, blood flow and oxygen regulation as well as muscle contraction and relaxation. This is said to improve ‘exercise tolerance’, economy and mitigate some fatigue ultimately aiding overall performance at submaximal workloads. The current research shows ‘potential benefits for athletes’.

What doses are seeing performance improvement?

This varied across studies. The range is around 250-600mg of nitrates (or roughly 500ml of beetroot juice). Timing varies slightly too. Anything from 3hours down to 90 minutes prior to exercise has shown benefit. This may not be doable for some athletes though as it doesn’t really scream “delicious” before a hard effort. There is studies to suggest multiple day dosing (up to a week) in the lead up to an event may also have an increased effect.

Are there any cautions?

Firstly, no amount of supplementation will counteract solid training or nutrition. Focus on the big ticket items first. If you’ve ticked those off, then it may be time to play around with the 1%ers. The cherry on top.

Nitrates have been used for HYPERtension for a number of years. In saying this it’s probably not advised to supplement for those with low blood pressure or HYPOtension. Additionally, finding a red tinge in the toilet after taking a higher dose of beetroot juice is completely fine. It’s not a sign of you dying. Again, keep an eye on dose as more doesn’t necessarily mean more benefit.