The effect of beetroot juice on muscular endurance in college age students.

Abstract

Researchers have been studying the effect of beetroot juice as an ergogenic aid in regards to lower oxidative cost of exercise and improved time to exhaustion. The findings indicate that beetroot juice acts as a vasodilator thus decreasing resistnace to blood flow to working muscles. Little research has been done on its role in strength and muscular endurance. The purpose of this study was to determine the acute effect that beetroot juice may have on a sub-maximal leg-press muscular endurance test in healthy, college age students. In the first session, subjects performed a one rep max test on a leg press machine. Following the first session, subjects were randomly assigned into either a treatment (beetroot juice) first then placebo (cran-blackberry) test or visa-versa group. In the second session, a minimum of three days following the 1 repitition maximum test, participants performed their maximum number of leg press repetitions at 60% of their one rep max rounded to the nearest 5lbs. For each repetition, subjects were required to lower the weight until a 90 degree angle is formed between their middle thigh and lower leg based at the tester's discretion. Dependent t-test was used to calculate the aggregate group mean differences in maximal repetitions performed betweeen the intervention and placebo trials. The mean number of repetitions with the beetroot juice was 38.00 (sd=+/- 17.17). No significant difference (p=.115) was found in the number of repetitions between the beetroot juice and the placebo.