Ethics code: IR.SUMS.REHAB.REC.1399.007
Hemmatinafar M, Mosallanezhad Z, Abdollahei M H, Yazdani H, Samsami Pour A, Kooroshfard N et al . Beetroot Juice Supplementation Improves Fatigue, Aerobic, Anaerobic Performance and Nitrite concentration In College Soccer Players. RJMS 2021; 28 (2) :81-92
URL:
http://rjms.iums.ac.ir/article-1-6402-en.html
Department of Sport Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran , m.hemmatinafar@shirazu.ac.ir
Abstract: (3283 Views)
Background and Aims: Beetroot juice has been shown to increase endurance and high-intensity training performance. In addition, after consuming beetroot juice supplementation, the performance of periodic exercise in recreational (non-professional) athletes also improves. Therefore, we assessed the impact of a period of BR consumption on the performance of amateur trained soccer players following high-intensity intermittent exercise. The popularity of exercise nutrition is growing exponentially among athletes to boost their athletic performance. As a result, upon the improvement of contraction / relaxation, the generation of power and strength enhances the short-term intermittent running. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling molecule that is capable of improving vascular function, mitochondrial respiration, glucose homeostasis, and skeletal muscle contractions. However, the consumption of nitrate-rich vegetables (NO3-), such as lettuce, spinach, and beetroot (BR) have been identified as an alternative source and precursor of NO. The consumption of NO3- and increase of NO production decrease oxidative stress in skeletal muscle, handle calcium, and increase contractile force and production capacity in type II muscle fibers, increase time to fatigue, and improve the exercise performance. BR is rich in foods such as sugar, phenolic compounds, and ascorbic acid. BR is a rich source of NO3- commonly consumed because it possesses high contents of betacyanin and polyphenol and it produces more NO molecules than NO salts. The ergogenic effects of NO3-rich sources were first reported in metabolic adaptations following endurance training. Athletes in team or individual sports aim to increase performance in high-intensity interval training. High-intensity exercise results in a transition from low- to high-intensity and changes in metabolic conditions. In recent years, nitrate supplementation has been shown to have a significant effect on anaerobic exercise and high-intensity interval exercise. The effect of nitrate-rich BR juice support the improvement of the performance of high-intensity intermittent exercise in team sports; however, the length of the intake period and the time interval of nitrate-rich supplementation prior to the performance of the experiment are not completely clear. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that supplementation of BR in amateur trained soccer players could improve physiological and functional parameters. Therefore, we assessed the impact of a period of BR consumption on the performance of amateur trained soccer players following high-intensity intermittent exercise.
Methods: Forty-two male soccer players competing in the 2nd Iranian amateur league with the mean age of 20.50±0.58, weight of 67.14±2.35, body fat percent of 11.63±1.44, and body mass index of 21.34±0.48 voluntarily participated in the study. First off, all participants were informed about the nature of experimental procedures, including potential risks and benefits and then, received written informed consent. The experimental protocols were approved by the Ethical Committee of Shiraz University, Iran, according to Helsinki DeclarationGuidelines. Participants were asked not to take any sport or medical supplements, or any ergogenic aids during the 4-week experiment period. The current study was randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over, and double-blind that investigated the effect of BR supplementation on high-intensity intermittent exercise performance in soccer players. High- intensity intermittent running performance was assessed by the Yo-Yo IR1 test and Wingate test in two days. All subjects ingested beetroot juice nitrate- rich (2×70 ml/day; BR) or placebo (PLA) for six-days with seven-days of wash-out between trialsParticipants arrived at the facility 2.5 h after ingesting the last bolus of the supplement (8:30 A.M.). The heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the experiment (Polar Beat, Polar Electro, Kempele, Finland). The experimental protocols were carried out at the same time in every day. Subjects were asked to arrive to the laboratory 90 min before the experiment. They were also requested to be fully hydrated, and consume their least meal at least 3 h before the initiation of the exercise test. Besides, they had to avoid strenuous exercise 36 h before the experimental trials. Before the Yo-Yo test, warm-up was performed for each participant. The Yo-Yo test was carried out on running lanes with a width of 2 m and length of 20 m. The examination consisted of repeated 2 × 20 m runs that progressively increased the speed which was controlled by the audio bleeps from an audio system. Each 20 m running was interspersed by 5 m behind the finishing line marked the running distance that is 10-s active recovery period. Immediately after the termination of the Yo-Yo test, Subjective rating of perceived exertion was carried out in accordance with the Borg's scale ranging from 6–20. Wingate test used for determine of power output and fatigue index. The heart rate and VO2max were measured continuously throughout the Yo-Yo test, and nitrate/nitrite plasma levels were collected prior and post of the six- days nitrate supplementation. Data are expressed as the means and standard deviation (mean ± SD). All statistical analyses were carried out by the SPSS software (version 19.0; IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). The Shapiro-Wilk test , Independent t-test and Pearson correlation coefficients were used. The level of statistical significance was set at p< 0.05.
Results: Compared to PLA, six- days BR supplementation increased mean power (483.91±23.60 vs. 468.77±23.39, p<0.05) and low power (373.31±22.03 vs. 340.41±22.40, p<0.05) and also reduced fatigue index (37.66±5.66 vs. 45.27±7.94; p<0.05). High-intensity intermittent running performance (p= 0.034), VO2max (p= 0.043), nitrate and nitrite plasma levels (P<0.001) were significantly improved in subjects in the BR compared with the PLA.
Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it seems that 6 days of beet juice supplementation can improve the aerobic and anaerobic performance of trained football players.The main finding of this study is that a 6-day period of BR supplementation led to a marked improvement in the performance of high-intensity intermittent exercise in soccer players. Such an improvement includes a decrease in the heart rate during high-intensity intermittent running tests, as well as an increase in VO2max. We investigated the impact of a 6-day period of BR supplementation on nitrate/nitrite concentrations and performance during the speed and Yo-Yo tests in soccer players. After 6 days BR supplementation, the plasma levels of nitrate/ nitrite, peak power, mean power, low power, and performance in the Yo-Yo test were significantly increased. Also, the heart rate and fatigue index were significantly decreased in the BR compared with the PLA.
Type of Study:
Research |
Subject:
Exercise Physiology