Term of Award

Summer 2017

Degree Name

Master of Science in Kinesiology (M.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Health and Kinesiology

Committee Chair

John Dobson

Committee Member 1

Amy Jo Riggs

Committee Member 2

Greg Ryan

Abstract

Supplementation with beetroot juice (BR) has been shown to reduce blood pressure (BP) at rest and improve several performance parameters during submaximal and maximal exercise. BR effects on BP during submaximal exercise have not been investigated. Furthermore, the effects of BR on VO2max are inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of BR on VO2max and BP during submaximal exercise. 20 healthy, recreationally trained volunteers (age 21.8±2.35 years, weight 75.10±10.62 kg, height 177.4±6.39 cm) participated in this study, which had a double-blind placebo controlled randomized crossover design. Participants began supplementation with either 8 oz. servings of placebo (water with McCormick red food coloring FD&C reds 40 and 3) or 70 ml BR servings (Beet it, James White Drinks, Ipswich, UK, nitrate concentration of 6.4 mmol/day) for 7 days. Participants completed a modified ramp treadmill protocol for determination of VO2max. BP was taken at 70% of max heart rate calculated using the Karvonen method. There was no significant change in VO2max after BR supplementation (51.07±6.12 ml/kg/min) compared to placebo (50.46±6.06 ml/kg/min), t(19)=1.41, p=0.17. There was also no significant change in systolic blood pressure after beetroot juice supplementation (180.65±23.37 mm Hg) compared to placebo (177.65±22.07 mm Hg), t(19)=0.49, p=0.63, nor in diastolic blood pressure after beetroot juice supplementation (92.90±18.89 mm Hg) compared to placebo (90.75±17.73 mm Hg), t(19)=0.51, p=0.62. BR did not affect VO2max, nor did it affect blood pressure during submaximal exercise.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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