Recent research has suggested that dietary nitrate (NO3(-)) supplementation might alter the physiological responses to exercise via specific effects on type II muscle. Severe-intensity exercise initiated from an elevated metabolic rate would be expected to enhance the proportional activation of higher-order (type II) muscle fibers. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to test the hypothesis that, compared with placebo (PL), NO3(-)-rich beetroot juice (BR) supplementation would speed the phase II VO2 kinetics (τ(p)) and enhance exercise tolerance during severe-intensity exercise initiated from a baseline of moderate-intensity exercise. Nine healthy, physically active subjects were assigned in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design to receive BR (140 ml/day, containing ~8 mmol of NO3(-)) and PL (140 ml/day, containing ~0.003 mmol of NO3(-)) for 6 days. On days 4, 5, and 6 of the supplementation periods, subjects completed a double-step exercise protocol that included transitions from unloaded to moderate-intensity exercise (U→M) followed immediately by moderate to severe-intensity exercise (M→S). Compared with PL, BR elevated resting plasma nitrite concentration (PL: 65 ± 32 vs. BR: 348 ± 170 nM, P < 0.01) and reduced the VO2 τ(p) in M→S (PL: 46 ± 13 vs. BR: 36 ± 10 s, P < 0.05) but not U→M (PL: 25 ± 4 vs. BR: 27 ± 6 s, P > 0.05). During M→S exercise, the faster VO2 kinetics coincided with faster near-infrared spectroscopy-derived muscle [deoxyhemoglobin] kinetics (τ; PL: 20 ± 9 vs. BR: 10 ± 3 s, P < 0.05) and a 22% greater time-to-task failure (PL: 521 ± 158 vs. BR: 635 ± 258 s, P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation with NO3(-)-rich BR juice speeds VO2 kinetics and enhances exercise tolerance during severe-intensity exercise when initiated from an elevated metabolic rate.

Bailey SJ, Varnham RL, DiMenna FJ, Breese BC, Wylie LJ, Jones AM. Inorganic nitrate supplementation improves muscle oxygenation, O2 uptake kinetics, and exercise tolerance at high but not low pedal rates. J Appl Physiol 118: 1396 -1405, 2015. First published April 9, 2015 doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01141.2014.-We tested the hypothesis that inorganic nitrate (NO3 Ϫ ) supplementation would improve muscle oxygenation, pulmonary oxygen uptake (V O2) kinetics, and exercise tolerance (Tlim) to a greater extent when cycling at high compared with low pedal rates. In a randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study, seven subjects (mean Ϯ SD, age 21 Ϯ 2 yr, body mass 86 Ϯ 10 kg) completed severe-intensity step cycle tests at pedal cadences of 35 rpm and 115 rpm during separate nine-day supplementation periods with NO3 Ϫ -rich beetroot juice (BR) (providing 8.4 mmol NO3 Ϫ /day) and placebo (PLA). Compared with PLA, plasma nitrite concentration increased 178% with BR (P Ͻ 0.01). There were no significant differences in muscle oxyhemoglobin concentration ([O2Hb]), phase II V O2 kinetics, or Tlim between BR and PLA when cycling at 35 rpm (P Ͼ 0.05). However, when cycling at 115 rpm, muscle [O2Hb] was higher at baseline and throughout exercise, phase II V O2 kinetics was faster (47 Ϯ 16 s vs. 61 Ϯ 25 s; P Ͻ 0.05), and Tlim was greater (362 Ϯ 137 s vs. 297 Ϯ 79 s; P Ͻ 0.05) with BR compared with PLA. These results suggest that short-term BR supplementation can increase muscle oxygenation, expedite the adjustment of oxidative metabolism, and enhance exercise tolerance when cycling at a high, but not a low, pedal cadence in healthy recreationally active subjects. These findings support recent observations that NO3 Ϫ supplementation may be particularly effective at improving physiological and functional responses in type II muscle fibers. nitric oxide; vascular function; oxidative metabolism; exercise performance; fatigue NITRIC OXIDE (NO) IS A DIFFUSIBLE GAS that impacts a plethora of physiological responses including skeletal muscle perfusion, metabolism, force production, and fatigue resistance (56). It is well documented that NO is produced by the nitric oxide synthase enzymes, which catalyze the complex five-electron oxidation of the semiessential amino acid, L-arginine (10). More recently, there has been a growing appreciation of the potential for NO synthesis from the simple one-electron reduction of nitrite (NO 2 Ϫ ), in a reaction catalyzed by numerous NO 2 Ϫ reductases (44, 57). Importantly, increasing the intake of dietary inorganic nitrate (NO 3 Ϫ ), which passes into the enterosalivary circulation for subsequent reduction to NO 2 Ϫ by oral anaerobes (19), has been shown to positively impact NO biomarkers, exercise efficiency, and exercise tolerance in recreationally active subjects (3,4,12,42,43,58,61). Therefore, supplementation with NO 3 Ϫ appears to represent an effective dietary intervention to improve NO bioavailability, contractile efficiency, and fatigue resistance.Results from in vitro studies suggest that th...

The sex difference in peak V˙O2 in 9- to 10-yr-old children is, in part, related to sex-specific changes in muscle O2 extraction dynamics during incremental exercise.

Nimmerichter, A, Novak, N, Triska, C, Prinz, B, and Breese, BC. Validity of treadmill-derived critical speed on predicting 5,000-meter track-running performance. J Strength Cond Res 31(3): 706-714, 2017-To evaluate 3 models of critical speed (CS) for the prediction of 5,000-m running performance, 16 trained athletes completed an incremental test on a treadmill to determine maximal aerobic speed (MAS) and 3 randomly ordered runs to exhaustion at the [INCREMENT]70% intensity, at 110% and 98% of MAS. Critical speed and the distance covered above CS (D') were calculated using the hyperbolic speed-time (HYP), the linear distance-time (LIN), and the linear speed inverse-time model (INV). Five thousand meter performance was determined on a 400-m running track. Individual predictions of 5,000-m running time (t = [5,000-D']/CS) and speed (s = D'/t + CS) were calculated across the 3 models in addition to multiple regression analyses. Prediction accuracy was assessed with the standard error of estimate (SEE) from linear regression analysis and the mean difference expressed in units of measurement and coefficient of variation (%). Five thousand meter running performance (speed: 4.29 ± 0.39 m·s; time: 1,176 ± 117 seconds) was significantly better than the predictions from all 3 models (p < 0.0001). The mean difference was 65-105 seconds (5.7-9.4%) for time and -0.22 to -0.34 m·s (-5.0 to -7.5%) for speed. Predictions from multiple regression analyses with CS and D' as predictor variables were not significantly different from actual running performance (-1.0 to 1.1%). The SEE across all models and predictions was approximately 65 seconds or 0.20 m·s and is therefore considered as moderate. The results of this study have shown the importance of aerobic and anaerobic energy system contribution to predict 5,000-m running performance. Using estimates of CS and D' is valuable for predicting performance over race distances of 5,000 m.

These results suggest that inorganic [Formula: see text] supplementation, which increases the potential for O-independent NO production, does not affect local sweating and cutaneous vascular responses, but attenuates blood pressure in young healthy subjects exercising in a hot environment.

This study tested the hypothesis that pulmonary

This study examined longitudinal changes in the pulmonary oxygen uptake (pV̇O2) kinetic response to heavy-intensity exercise in 14–16 yr old boys. Fourteen healthy boys (age 14.1 ± 0.2 yr) completed exercise testing on two occasions with a 2-yr interval. Each participant completed a minimum of three ‘step’ exercise transitions, from unloaded pedalling to a constant work rate corresponding to 40% of the difference between the pV̇O2 at the gas exchange threshold and peak pV̇O2 (40% Δ). Over the 2-yr period a significant increase in the phase II time constant (25 ± 5 vs. 30 ± 5 s; p = .002, ω2 = 0.34), the relative amplitude of the pV̇O2 slow component (9 ± 5 vs. 13 ± 4%; p = .036, ω2 = 0.14) and the pV̇O2 gain at end-exercise (11.6 ± 0.6 vs. 12.4 ± 0.7 mL·min−1·W−1; p < .001, ω2 = 0.42) were observed. These data indicate that the control of oxidative phosphorylation in response to heavy-intensity cycling exercise is age-dependent in teenage boys.

This study used priming exercise in young boys to investigate (i) how muscle oxygen delivery and oxygen utilization, and muscle activity modulate oxygen uptake kinetics during exercise; and (ii) whether the accelerated oxygen uptake kinetics following priming exercise can improve exercise tolerance. Seven boys that were aged 11.3 ± 1.6 years completed either a single bout (bout 1) or repeated bouts with 6 min of recovery (bout 2) of very heavy-intensity cycling exercise. During the tests oxygen uptake, muscle oxygenation, muscle electrical activity and exercise tolerance were measured. Priming exercise most likely shortened the oxygen uptake mean response time (change, ±90% confidence limits; -8.0 s, ±3.0), possibly increased the phase II oxygen uptake amplitude (0.11 L·min(-1), ±0.09) and very likely reduced the oxygen uptake slow component amplitude (-0.08 L·min(-1), ±0.07). Priming resulted in a likely reduction in integrated electromyography (-24% baseline, ±21% and -25% baseline, ±19) and a very likely reduction in Δ deoxyhaemoglobin/Δoxygen uptake (-0.16, ±0.11 and -0.09, ±0.05) over the phase II and slow component portions of the oxygen uptake response, respectively. A correlation was present between the change in tissue oxygenation index during bout 2 and the change in the phase II (r = -0.72, likely negative) and slow component (r = 0.72, likely positive) oxygen uptake amplitudes following priming exercise, but not for muscle activity. Exercise tolerance was likely reduced (change -177 s, ±180) following priming exercise. The altered phase II and slow component oxygen uptake amplitudes in boys following priming exercise are linked to an improved localised matching of muscle oxygen delivery to oxygen uptake and not muscle electrical activity. Despite more rapid oxygen uptake kinetics following priming exercise, exercise tolerance was not enhanced.