The Study
Effect of Beetroot Nitrate Supplementation on Nitric Oxide Pathways and Oxy-Inflammatory Biomarkers in Amateur Triathletes: A Randomized Cross-Over Pilot Study
This study showed that when these 10 athletes drank a beetroot supplement, some chemicals in their blood changed—like more nitric oxide and more stress markers. But it didn’t show if they ran faster, felt less sore, or got healthier. So we know something changed inside them, but we don’t know if it actually helped them perform better.
Analysis score
Maximum 45 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
This study gave men who train for triathlons a special beetroot drink for a week to see if it helps their body use oxygen better and if it causes any harm.
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 545 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This means their body activated helpful signaling pathways for better blood flow and energy use, without damaging cell membranes — like turning up the volume on a speaker without breaking it.
- 2Their body made 155% more nitric oxide, 56% more iNOS enzyme, 60% more peroxynitrite, and 413% more ROS — but didn't produce more 8-isoprostane (a sign of muscle damage).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2026
Authors
S. Mrakic-Sposta, A. Vezzoli, Mattia Parenza, Marcello Magno, Gennaro D'Angelo, F. Nannipieri, Santina Battaglia, L. Solfanelli, Edoardo Tacconi, C. Dellanoce, M. Montorsi, L. Pratali
Related Content
Claims (5)
In amateur male triathletes, consuming beetroot nitrate raised interleukin-6 levels by 73% without changing interleukin-10 levels, indicating a specific shift in cytokine balance linked to redox signaling.
In amateur male triathletes aged 48.1 ± 9.8 years, seven days of daily beetroot-based nitrate supplementation with L-citrulline, L-arginine, and N-acetylcysteine increases plasma and urinary nitric oxide metabolites by 155%, raises inducible nitric oxide synthase by 56%, and increases peroxynitrite levels by 60%, with no detectable lipid peroxidation.
In amateur male triathletes, seven days of beetroot nitrate supplementation increased reactive oxygen species by 413% and interleukin-6 by 73%, while lipid peroxidation markers like 8-isoprostane remained unchanged.
In amateur male triathletes, consuming beetroot nitrate does not raise levels of 8-isoprostane, a marker of lipid damage, even though other oxidative molecules increase, showing that cell membranes remain intact despite higher oxidative stress.
In amateur male triathletes, consuming beetroot nitrate raised levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase by 56% and peroxynitrite by 60%, showing that the nitric oxide pathway was activated through enzymatic synthesis instead of only through nitrate reduction.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.