Also known as: Nitrate, NO3, Potassium nitrate, Sodium nitrate, Leafy green nitrate
EnduranceStrong evidence
The compound doing the work in beetroot, also abundant in rocket and spinach. Understanding nitrate rather than beetroot specifically is what lets you dose it properly and cheaply.
Typical dose
400.0–800.0 mg per day
2-3 hours before the effort; no antibacterial mouthwash that day
What it is
Inorganic nitrate is a simple compound found in soil, water and vegetables. Beetroot gets the attention, but rocket is considerably richer, and spinach, lettuce, celery and radish all contribute meaningfully.
This entry exists separately from beetroot because the beetroot is incidental. If you understand that nitrate is the active compound, you can source it from a bag of rocket, a beetroot shot, or a nitrate salt, and dose all three the same way.
Dietary nitrate should not be confused with the nitrate and nitrite used as curing salts in processed meat, which sit in a different context entirely and have been studied for different reasons. Vegetable nitrate comes packaged with antioxidants that alter what happens to it.
How it works
Swallowed nitrate is absorbed, then concentrated in saliva. Bacteria on the surface of the tongue reduce it to nitrite, which is swallowed again and converted to nitric oxide in the acidic stomach and in tissue.
This entire route depends on oral bacteria, which is why antibacterial mouthwash abolishes the effect. It is one of the few places where your mouth bacteria directly determine whether a supplement works.
Nitric oxide produced this way widens blood vessels and, more interestingly, reduces the oxygen cost of exercise — the same power output requires less oxygen. It works particularly well when oxygen is limited, which is precisely the situation during hard efforts.
What the evidence shows
The endurance evidence is robust, with many controlled trials and meta-analyses reporting improved time to exhaustion and reduced oxygen cost of submaximal exercise. Effects are clearest for efforts of roughly 5 to 30 minutes.
Benefits are consistently larger in recreationally trained people than in elite endurance athletes, whose nitric oxide systems are already well developed. That pattern is reliable enough to set expectations by.
Blood pressure reduction is also well demonstrated, and is arguably the more consistent finding of the two. There is additional evidence for repeated high-intensity efforts and for muscle power in some contexts.
Dosing
Dose by nitrate: 400 to 800 mg, or 6 to 13 mmol. Around 6 to 8 mmol is the standard research dose.
Timing is 2 to 3 hours before the effort, since nitrite peaks in blood at that point rather than immediately. Taking it 20 minutes beforehand does nothing, and this is the most common way people get no benefit from a product that works.
Do not use antibacterial mouthwash on the day. It kills the tongue bacteria the whole pathway depends on. Loading daily for several days works better than a single acute dose. A large bag of rocket is a legitimate and cheap alternative to a shot.
At a glance
Common forms
Beetroot juice concentrate, Beetroot powder, Potassium nitrate, Rocket and leafy greens, Nitrate gels
Half-life / duration
Plasma nitrite peaks 2-3 hours post-dose and stays elevated for several hours
Timing
2-3 hours before the effort; no antibacterial mouthwash that day
Competition status
Permitted — not on the WADA Prohibited List
Category
Endurance
Safety and side effects
Dietary nitrate from vegetables has an excellent safety record and is consumed daily by anyone eating salad. Beetroot-derived products commonly cause harmless red or pink urine and stools.
Digestive upset can occur with concentrated shots, particularly on an empty stomach.
Because nitrate lowers blood pressure, take care if yours is being managed, and speak to your doctor before regular use if you take anything affecting blood pressure or circulation. Nitrate salts should be dosed carefully by weight rather than eyeballed.
Who should avoid it
Take care if your blood pressure is being managed, and speak to your doctor before regular use if you take anything affecting blood pressure or circulation. Dose nitrate salts carefully by weight. Keep intake modest if you have had kidney stones, given the oxalate content of beetroot and spinach. Not established at supplemental doses in pregnancy.
This entry is provided for information only. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before use if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under medical supervision.
