The effects of beetroot consumption on blood pressure, heart rate, perceived exertion and the speed of running in young female athletes

Beetroot is a rich source of antioxidants and rich in nitrates. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of beetroot consumption on blood pressure, heart rate, perceived Exertion, and the speed of running in young female athletes.

For this purpose, 10 young female athletes participated in this cross-over double blind study. Subjects were randomly placed into placebo (n=5) or beetroot (200 g containing 500 mg Nitrate; n=5) groups. They ran 5 Km on treadmill. The wash-out period for them was one week. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured before and 3 hours after beetroot consumption and after the 5 Kilometer run. Heart rate, perceived exertion, and the speed of running at the distances of 1.6 and 3.2 kilometers were recorded. Two-way ANOVA with repeated measures and independent t-test were used for data analysis.

The results showed that beetroot consumption significantly reduced systolic blood pressure before and after the exercise, and reduced diastolic blood pressure before the exercise. Heart rate was significantly decreased in beetroot group after 1.6 and 3.2 kilometers run, but no significant difference was found between beetroot and placebo groups at the end of 5 kilometer run. Perceived exertion was significantly reduced at the end of 1.6 kilometer run but not after 3.2 and 5 kilometer run in the beetroot group. The alterations in the speed of running at 1.6, 3.2 and 5 kilometers were not significantly different between the groups.

According to the results of this study, in addition to the health benefits of vegetables, nitrate-rich vegetables can improve performance of training.