TL;DR
Get oils, diffusers and self-care delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
A 2026 review pooling 33 studies and 519 athletes found beet juice was linked to modest improvements in aerobic capacity and high-intensity performance, including power output. The findings do not mean every beet drink will help: nitrate content varies, and the review’s cited guidance points to consuming it two to three hours before exercise.
A 2026 review of 33 studies involving 519 professional and amateur athletes found that beet juice was associated with modest gains in aerobic capacity and high-intensity exercise performance, including power output. The findings suggest a possible benefit for workouts, but the size of any effect may depend on the drink’s nitrate content and when it is consumed.
The review covered athletes from a range of sports and reported that beet juice modestly improved aerobic capacity, with somewhat larger—though still modest—effects on high-intensity performance and power output. The source report says the researchers found results that were consistent across the included studies. It does not provide a breakdown of effects by sport, athlete level or individual study.
Registered dietitian nutritionist Theresa Gentile, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fit&Well that beet juice contains dietary nitrate, which the body converts into nitric oxide. Gentile said nitric oxide widens blood vessels and may affect blood flow, muscle oxygen use and contraction. These proposed mechanisms help explain the results, but they do not establish that every person will notice a performance change.
For possible effects, Gentile cited research using 5–9 millimoles of nitrate, or about 300–600 milligrams. She also noted some recent evidence suggesting higher amounts—8.3–16.4 millimoles, or about 515–1,017 milligrams—could produce greater benefits. The source cautions that products vary: sports-specific shots may provide a standardized dose, while ordinary juice and grocery-store shots can have widely differing nitrate levels.
Power Gains Were Also Reported
The results matter because they point beyond endurance alone: the review reported modest benefits for power output and high-intensity exercise as well as aerobic capacity. That may interest people planning short, demanding efforts such as sprinting, though the reported effect is modest and should not be treated as a guaranteed advantage.
The findings also underline a practical limitation. A bottle labeled beet juice does not necessarily contain the nitrate amount used in research. Consumers cannot assume that any serving will reproduce the study results, and the report does not establish that taking more will always improve performance. Dose and product composition are part of the claim, not minor details.
Gentile said beet juice may be more likely to help recreationally active people, while the source does not provide enough detail to determine who benefits most or how large the difference is for particular groups. Athletes and casual exercisers should view it as a possible dietary aid rather than a substitute for training, food, hydration or rest.
beetroot juice shots standardized nitrate content pre workout
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Nitrate Dose and Timing Matter
Dietary nitrate is found in beets and other vegetables, including arugula and spinach. According to Gentile, the body converts nitrate into nitric oxide, a molecule involved in blood-vessel function. The review addressed exercise performance; it does not establish that beet juice is necessary for a healthy diet or that a supplement is superior to nitrate-rich foods.
For timing, Gentile said research generally suggests consuming beet juice two to three hours before exercise, when nitric oxide levels are expected to be near their peak. She also cited studies in which daily intake for at least three days before an event was associated with benefits. The source describes a single dose before exercise as the most practical and consistently effective approach, while acknowledging that preparation schedules and morning workouts may make timing difficult.
The report also mentions possible cardiovascular effects from beet juice and nitrate-rich vegetables, including improved blood-vessel function and modestly lower blood pressure, particularly among people with hypertension. Gentile said more research is needed to establish long-term dosing and whether routine supplementation adds benefits beyond a vegetable-rich diet. Those effects are separate from the review’s exercise-performance findings.
“Beet juice may “modestly improve endurance and high-intensity performance, particularly in recreationally active individuals.””
— Theresa Gentile, registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson, quoted by Fit&Well
Who Benefits Remains Uncertain
The source report does not give the review’s full methods, the size of the effects in numerical terms, or results separated by sport, age, sex or training level. It also does not state how the researchers assessed differences in product formulations and nitrate doses across the 33 studies. Those details limit how precisely readers can apply the findings to their own workouts.
It is also unclear how much benefit a person might experience from a particular drink without knowing its nitrate content. Gentile said ordinary beet juice and store-bought shots can vary, and that some may not provide enough nitrate to match amounts used in research. The review’s pooled findings do not establish that a specific brand or an unlabelled serving will produce the same effect.
The report does not establish a long-term supplementation dose or show that routine beet juice provides health benefits beyond a healthy diet. People with health conditions or questions about using concentrated products should seek guidance from a qualified health professional; the source does not provide individualized safety advice.
Check Product and Study Details
The source report gives no next research milestone or planned follow-up. Readers seeking to interpret the findings can consult the full review for its publication details, methods, study-level results and definitions of the performance measures—information not included in the supplied report.
For anyone considering beet juice before exercise, the immediate practical question is whether the product states its nitrate content. Gentile’s cited guidance places intake two to three hours before exercise and gives a range of study doses, but it does not amount to a guarantee of improved performance. More research is needed on which athletes benefit, the most effective dose and the longer-term effects of regular use.
Key Questions
What did the 2026 review find?
It pooled 33 studies involving 519 athletes and reported modest improvements in aerobic capacity, high-intensity exercise performance and power output associated with beet juice. The source does not provide numerical effect sizes.
How much nitrate did the report say was used in research?
Dietitian Theresa Gentile cited a common research range of 5–9 millimoles of nitrate, or about 300–600 milligrams. She also noted some evidence suggesting higher amounts may produce greater benefits. The amount of juice needed depends on its nitrate content.
When should beet juice be taken before a workout?
Gentile said research generally suggests taking it two to three hours before exercise. Some studies also reported benefits from daily intake for at least three days before an event, but the source describes a pre-exercise dose as the most practical and consistently effective strategy.
Will any beet juice provide the same effect?
No such guarantee is established by the report. Nitrate levels vary among products, and Gentile said some ordinary juices and grocery-store shots may not contain enough to match doses used in studies. Check the product’s nitrate information rather than relying on serving size alone.
Does the review prove beet juice lowers blood pressure?
No. The report mentions possible cardiovascular effects of beet juice and nitrate-rich vegetables, including modest blood-pressure reductions in people with hypertension, but says more research is needed on long-term dosing and benefits beyond a healthy, vegetable-rich diet.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
