Aging Athletes Get a Lift from Beetroot: Study Reveals Ergogenic Effects in Master Rowers

Posted on: Thursday, August 1st 2024 at 3:00 am

Written By: 

GreenMedInfo Research Group

As athletes age, maintaining peak performance becomes increasingly challenging. But what if the secret to enhanced endurance was hiding in the produce aisle all along? A new study suggests that beetroot juice, a natural source of nitrates, could be the key to unlocking better performance in older athletes.

Introduction to the Condition

As athletes enter their master years (typically defined as over 35 for rowing), they often face declining performance due to age-related physiological changes. These can include reductions in muscle mass, decreased oxygen uptake capacity, and slower recovery times.1 For master rowers, these changes can significantly impact their ability to maintain competitive times in events like the 2000-meter race - a gold standard test of rowing performance.

Current Treatment Landscape

Traditionally, master athletes have relied on a combination of tailored training regimens, nutritional strategies, and in some cases, legal ergogenic aids to maintain performance. Common approaches include:

1. Periodized training programs
2. High-protein diets for muscle maintenance
3. Creatine supplementation
4. Beta-alanine for lactic acid buffering

However, these methods have limitations, and athletes are constantly seeking safe, natural alternatives to enhance their performance without resorting to banned substances.

Details of the New Study

Methodology

Researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, crossover study involving ten well-trained male master rowers aged 30-48 years. The study design was rigorous, with participants completing two identical 2000-meter rowing ergometer tests, separated by a 7-day washout period. In one session, rowers consumed 140 mL of beetroot juice (BRJ) containing approximately 12.8 mmol of nitrate 3 hours before the test. In the other session, they consumed a placebo (PL) designed to mimic the taste and appearance of BRJ.

Results

The study yielded several significant findings:

1. Time Trial Performance: Rowers completed the 2000-meter test an average of 4 seconds faster after consuming BRJ compared to PL (p ≤ 0.05).
2. Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO2 max): Both relative and absolute VO2 max increased significantly after BRJ intake. Relative VO2 max improved by 2.10 mL·kg-1·min-1 (p ≤ 0.05), while absolute VO2 max increased by 0.16 L·min-1 (p ≤ 0.05).
3. Individual Response: 7 out of 10 rowers improved their time trial performance, and 9 out of 10 increased their VO2 max after BRJ consumption.

The authors note: "Acute BRJ intake may improve the time trial performance and VO2 max in well-trained master rowers during a 2,000-meters rowing ergometer test."

Analysis of Findings

The results of this study are particularly intriguing for several reasons:

1. Natural Ergogenic Aid: Beetroot juice is a completely natural substance, offering a potential alternative to synthetic performance enhancers.
2. Significant Performance Improvement: In elite sports, a 4-second improvement over 2000 meters can be the difference between winning and losing.
3. Physiological Impact: The increase in VO2 max suggests that BRJ may be enhancing oxygen utilization, a crucial factor in endurance performance.
4. Applicability to Master Athletes: The study specifically targeted older athletes, a group often overlooked in sports nutrition research.

Dr. Garnacho-Castaño, the lead author, explains the potential mechanism: "The nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway is gradually activated as the oxygen tension decreases, forming enough NO when the oxygen supply is limited. It is assumed that NO2- participates in hypoxic vasodilation and in the regulation of VO2 at the mitochondrial level."

Implications for Natural Health/Alternatives Advocacy

This study adds to a growing body of evidence supporting the use of natural, food-based ergogenic aids. For advocates of natural health approaches, it represents a significant step towards demonstrating that effective performance enhancement can come from whole foods rather than synthetic compounds.

The findings have several important implications:

1. Whole Food Superiority: Beetroot juice contains a complex matrix of compounds beyond just nitrates, which may work synergistically to produce the observed effects.
2. Safety Profile: As a food-based supplement, beetroot juice is likely to have a better safety profile than many synthetic alternatives.
3. Accessibility: Beetroot juice is widely available and relatively inexpensive, making it an accessible option for athletes at all levels.
4. Potential for Wider Application: While this study focused on master rowers, the results suggest potential benefits for other endurance sports and possibly even non-athletic populations.

Moving Away from a Pharmaceutically-Dominated Model

The positive results from this natural intervention challenge the notion that effective performance enhancement must come from pharmaceutical interventions. This aligns with a growing trend in sports science and medicine to explore natural, holistic approaches to performance enhancement and recovery.

Dr. Andrew Jones, a leading researcher in nitrate supplementation not involved in this study, has previously stated: "Nitrate supplementation represents a promising new approach to enhancing exercise performance that challenges traditional views on sports nutrition."2

Conclusion

The study on beetroot juice supplementation in master rowers offers compelling evidence for the ergogenic potential of this natural supplement. By demonstrating improvements in both performance times and physiological markers like VO2 max, it opens up new avenues for natural performance enhancement in aging athletes.

However, it's important to note the study's limitations, including its small sample size and focus on a specific athletic population. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore their applicability to other sports and age groups.

Nonetheless, for athletes, coaches, and natural health advocates, this study provides exciting evidence that nature may offer potent solutions to the challenges of maintaining athletic performance with age. As we continue to uncover the potential of whole foods and natural compounds, we may be ushering in a new era of sports nutrition - one that looks to the garden rather than the laboratory for performance-enhancing solutions.

Learn more about the health benefits of beets here.

---

References

1. Reaburn, Peter, and Ben Dascombe. "Endurance Performance in Masters Athletes." European Review of Aging and Physical Activity 5, no. 1 (2008): 31-42. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11556-008-0029-2

2. Jones, Andrew M. "Dietary Nitrate Supplementation and Exercise Performance." Sports Medicine 44, no. 1 (2014): 35-45. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-014-0149-y