TL;DR
Get health and wellness essentials 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 covering 33 studies and 519 athletes found beet juice was associated with modest improvements in aerobic capacity, high-intensity performance and power. A dietitian cited in Fit&Well says nitrate dose and timing matter; the review does not establish that every beet drink or shot will improve a workout.
A 2026 review of 33 studies involving 519 professional and amateur athletes found that beet juice was associated with modest improvements in aerobic capacity and somewhat larger, though still modest, gains in high-intensity performance and power. The findings suggest a potential workout benefit, but they do not mean every beet juice or shot contains enough nitrate to produce the effects.
The review pooled research across different sports and athlete groups. According to Fit&Well’s account, the researchers reported consistent findings between studies, with the largest effect not limited to endurance: beet juice may also modestly increase the power people produce during high-intensity exercise. The supplied report does not provide the review’s title, journal, publication date, or detailed study-by-study results.
Registered dietitian nutritionist Theresa Gentile, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fit&Well that dietary nitrate in beet juice is converted in the body into nitric oxide. She said nitric oxide can widen blood vessels and affect blood flow and muscle oxygen use, which may help explain a performance effect. These mechanisms are a proposed explanation, not proof that every person will notice a workout change.
Gentile said research commonly uses about 5–9 millimoles of nitrate, or roughly 300–600 milligrams. She also cited recent evidence suggesting that 8.3–16.4 millimoles, about 515–1,017 milligrams, may produce greater performance benefits. Those ranges refer to nitrate, not the weight or volume of beet juice; the nitrate content of ordinary juice can vary by product, beets and processing.
What the Findings Mean for Training
The findings may interest athletes and recreationally active people seeking a small performance advantage, particularly for intense exercise and power output. Fit&Well reports that Gentile sees potential benefits especially for recreationally active individuals, but the review’s average results do not promise the same response for every athlete or workout.
The distinction between a modest average effect and an individual result matters. Beet juice is not a substitute for training, food, hydration or recovery, and the report does not establish that a shot will transform performance. For people comparing products, the relevant detail is the nitrate amount per serving, not simply whether the label says “beet.”
The findings also have practical limits: products may provide different nitrate doses, and the suggested pre-exercise window can be difficult to follow. The reported evidence points to a possible supplement effect under particular conditions, rather than a broad claim that beet juice improves every kind of exercise.
beetroot juice powder high nitrate pre workout
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Why Nitrate Dose and Timing Matter
Beets contain dietary nitrates, which the body can convert into nitric oxide. Gentile told Fit&Well that nitric oxide is involved in blood-vessel widening and blood flow, and may affect how muscles use oxygen and contract. The review, as summarized by the outlet, links beet juice with modest exercise benefits; it does not establish that this proposed biological pathway is the only reason for the results.
For timing, Gentile said research commonly suggests consuming beet juice two to three hours before exercise, when nitrate conversion is expected to be near its peak. She also described studies in which people took it daily for at least three days before an event. Fit&Well’s report presents a single dose before exercise as the more practical and consistently effective approach, while noting that the multi-day evidence exists.
Gentile cautioned that sports-specific beet shots may offer a standardized nitrate dose, while grocery-store shots and ordinary juice can vary widely. The report also mentions possible cardiovascular effects from beet juice and other nitrate-rich vegetables, but says further research is needed on long-term dosing and added benefits beyond a healthy, vegetable-rich diet.
“Beet juice is rich in dietary nitrate, which is converted in the body into nitric oxide.”
— Theresa Gentile, registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson, speaking to Fit&Well
beetroot shots dietary nitrate sports performance
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Limits of the Beet Juice Evidence
The supplied report does not identify the review’s publication venue or provide enough detail to assess its methods, the quality of the included studies, or how the results differed across sports and participant groups. It also does not state the exact size of the performance changes, so the practical scale of the reported gains cannot be judged from the summary alone.
It remains unclear which individuals are most likely to respond, whether benefits differ by fitness level or exercise type, and how much nitrate a particular juice or shot contains unless its product information specifies a tested amount. The reported dose ranges are research-based estimates, not a universal prescription. The long-term effects and optimal routine intake also remain unsettled, according to Gentile’s comments in the article.
beetroot juice concentrate pre workout nitrate content
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
What Athletes Can Check Next
Readers who want to evaluate a beet product can check whether its label gives a nitrate amount per serving and compare that figure with the ranges discussed in the report. A product’s beet content alone does not establish that it matches doses used in research. Anyone considering a supplement for a particular health condition or alongside medication should discuss it with a qualified health professional rather than treating the article as personal medical advice.
The next useful evidence would include the full review and future studies reporting precise performance effects, product doses, participant characteristics and longer-term outcomes. Until those details are available in the source material, the supported takeaway is limited: beet juice may offer a modest, dose- and timing-dependent benefit, but the size and reliability of that benefit for a specific person remain uncertain.
nitrate test strips for beetroot juice
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
Does beet juice improve workout performance?
The 2026 review described by Fit&Well found modest improvements in aerobic capacity and somewhat larger, still modest, gains in high-intensity performance and power across 33 studies. It does not show that every person or product will produce a noticeable effect.
How much nitrate did the report say research commonly uses?
Dietitian Theresa Gentile cited a common research range of 5–9 millimoles of nitrate, about 300–600 milligrams. She also mentioned evidence examining 8.3–16.4 millimoles, about 515–1,017 milligrams. These figures describe nitrate content, not the volume of juice.
When should someone drink beet juice before exercise?
Gentile told Fit&Well that research suggests taking it two to three hours before exercise. Some studies also used daily intake for at least three days before an event, but the report describes a pre-exercise dose as the more practical and consistently effective approach.
Are all beet shots likely to contain an effective dose?
No. Gentile said nitrate amounts can vary in ordinary juice and grocery-store shots. She said sports-specific products may have a standardized dose, but readers should check whether a product states its nitrate content; the word “beet” alone does not confirm a research-level amount.
Are long-term benefits established?
No. The Fit&Well report says more research is needed to establish an optimal long-term dose and whether routine beet juice provides additional benefits beyond a healthy, vegetable-rich diet. It also does not establish a guaranteed cardiovascular or exercise benefit for an individual.
Source: rss
Cold & flu season Picks
humidifiers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
