Introduction:
Previous studies have examined dietary nitrate supplementation and its effects on dry static apnea, and peak power. Dietary nitrate supplementation has been found to increase maximal apnea and peak power output. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of beetroot juice on dry static apnea and Wingate performance.
Hypothesis:
Dietary nitrate will improve maximal breath hold time and peak power output. Dietary nitrate will improve tolerance to CO2, thereby improving maximal breath hold time and anaerobic capacity.
Methods:
In a randomized, double-blind, counterbalanced study, five healthy males (20.4±0.89 years) visited the lab on 3 separate occasions each separated by one week. Visit 1 served as a Wingate and breath hold familiarization visit. Prior to visits 2 and 3 participants were instructed to drink a beverage either a placebo (negligible nitrate content, PL) or dietary nitrate rich beverage (12.4 mmol nitrate, NIT) during the 4 days leading up to their next visit. Visits 2 and 3 consisted of two submaximal breath holds (80% of maximal determined during visit 1), with 2 minutes of rest between and three minutes of rest preceding the final breath hold for maximal duration. Finally, participants completed a standardized 10-minute warmup on the cycle ergometer before completing a 30-second maximal effort Wingate test.
Results:
A linear mixed effects model was used to determine whether treatment (NIT vs. PL) was associated with differences in VCO2 or PetCO2. Time (0, 10, 20, 30 min post-breath hold) and Treatment both served as repeated measures. Models were developed using multiple repeated measures covariance matrix structures, and the model with the lowest AIC was chosen as the final model. The interaction between time and treatment was included in the original models, and was removed if it was not statistically significant. Time was a statistically significant factor for VCO2 and PetCO2 (p < 0.001). Treatment, and the Time x Treatment interaction was not significant for either variable. No differences between NIT and PL were observed during the Wingate test for either time to peak power (5.02±2.45 and 6.2±2.43 sec, respectively) or maximal power (9.73±1.01 and 9.72±1.03 watts/kg, respectively) and fatigue index (49.42±14.98 and 47.30±6.99 watts/sec, respectively).
Conclusion:
Preliminary data indicates that in a general population four days of dietary nitrate supplementation may not improve breath hold time, tolerance to carbon dioxide in the lungs, or Wingate performance.
Potential health effects of dietary nitrate supplementation in aging and chronic degenerative disease
