Scientists from the University of Exeter found that the consumption of dietary nitrates from beetroot juice significantly increases muscle strength during exercise. The research was published in the journal Acta physiological.
Although dietary nitrates are known to increase endurance during exercise, the mechanism of this effect is not fully understood.
In the new study, the scientists used radioactively labeled nitrate molecules. This made it possible to monitor their distribution in the saliva, blood, muscle and urine of ten healthy volunteers.
One hour after taking the nitrate, participants were asked to perform 60 contractions of the quadriceps—the thigh muscle active during knee extension—for five minutes on a machine at maximum intensity. The nitrate caused a 7% increase in muscle strength compared to the placebo control group.
The substance is mainly accumulated in the muscles. There it is assumed that it becomes a source of nitric oxide for the muscles. This result is important not only for sports, but also for the treatment of neuromuscular and metabolic diseases, possibly due to nitric oxide deficiency.
Source: Gazeta
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