The Study
The chemistry of the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide pathway: regulating muscle oxygenation and exercise performance
This article is like a big summary of lots of other science stories about how eating beets might help you exercise better. It explains how it might work in your body, but it doesn't do any new experiments to prove it actually works.
Analysis score
Maximum 5 for a narrative review.
Where the score came from
Your mouth has good bacteria that turn nitrates from beetroot or spinach into nitric oxide, which helps your muscles use less oxygen when you exercise.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 52 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — using 5% less oxygen means you can run or cycle longer before getting tired, which can improve performance in sports lasting a few minutes.
- 2Beetroot juice can make untrained people use 5% less oxygen during exercise, but elite athletes don't get this benefit because their bodies already make plenty of nitric oxide.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
RSC Advances
Year
2026
Authors
Jing Liang, Taibin Huang, Jinping Li, Zhiyu Yang, Jinfei D Ni, Yan-Chun Wang
Related Content
Claims (6)
Nitrate from food is converted to nitrite by bacteria in the mouth, and that nitrite is then turned into nitric oxide in the bloodstream.
In highly trained endurance athletes, taking dietary nitrate supplements does not improve performance because their bodies already have high levels of nitric oxide, efficient mitochondria, and natural nitrate-nitrite compounds.
Dietary nitrate is converted to nitrite by specific bacteria in the mouth, and using antibacterial mouthwash stops this conversion, preventing the performance and health benefits that come from nitrate supplementation.
Nitric oxide produced from dietary nitrates reduces the amount of oxygen muscles need during exercise by temporarily slowing a key mitochondrial enzyme, resulting in improved endurance performance.
Consuming nitrate-rich vegetables like beetroot and leafy greens leads to nitric oxide production in muscles during exercise, which lowers the amount of oxygen needed to perform submaximal exercise by 5% in untrained and moderately trained people.
Dietary nitrate affects people differently because of differences in their training level, oral bacteria, genes related to nitric oxide production, and muscle fiber composition, so it does not work the same way for everyone as a performance enhancer.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.