Dietary Nitrate Supplementation and Exercise Performance

Abstract

Dietary nitrate is growing in popularity as a sports nutrition supplement. This article reviews the evidence base for the potential of inorganic nitrate to enhance sports and exercise performance. Inorganic nitrate is present in numerous foodstuffs and is abundant in green leafy vegetables and beetroot. Following ingestion, nitrate is converted in the body to nitrite and stored and circulated in the blood. In conditions of low oxygen availability, nitrite can be converted into nitric oxide, which is known to play a number of important roles in vascular and metabolic control. Dietary nitrate supplementation increases plasma nitrite concentration and reduces resting blood pressure. Intriguingly, nitrate supplementation also reduces the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise and can, in some circumstances, enhance exercise tolerance and performance. The mechanisms that may be responsible for these effects are reviewed and practical guidelines for safe and efficacious dietary nitrate supplementation are provided.

Effects of nitrite infusion on skeletal muscle vascular control during exercise in rats with chronic heart failure

“…The elevations in BF and VC observed in muscles composed of Ն63% fast twitch muscle fibers provide additional evidence for a fiber type-selective effect of the NO 3 Ϫ -NO 2 Ϫ -NO pathway observed in previous human and animal investigations (18,19,24,29). The bases for this effect are likely the reduced O 2 delivery to utilization ratio and lower PO 2 /pH environment found within fast twitch muscles at rest and during contractions (40).…”

Acute whole body UVA irradiation combined with nitrate ingestion enhances time trial performance in trained cyclists

“…In short, there are data suggesting that an increased bioavailability of NO improves the efficiency of mitochondrial respiration (Larsen et al, 2011) and reduces the energy cost of muscle force production (Bailey et al, 2010). The various purported mechanisms underlying these effects are the subject of a recent review article by Jones (2014) which neatly summarizes the extent of our knowledge on this topic.…”

Dietary Nitrate Supplementation Improves Sprint and High-Intensity Intermittent Running Performance

“…Recent evidence suggests that NO 3 -supplementation has the potential to preferentially enhance physiological responses in type II (fast-twitch), compared to type I (slow-twitch), skeletal muscle (Jones, 2014a). Indeed, increased calcium handling proteins and contractile force has been observed in type II, but not type I, mouse skeletal muscle after NO 3 -supplementation (Hernandez et al 2012).…”