Objectives: The nitrates found in beetroot juice (BR) are known to be a precursor of nitric oxide (NO). NO is a known vasodilator which allows more oxygen to travel in the blood and may improve muscle efficiency. This study aims to measure the effect of BR supplementation on performance on 500-meter row time for trained CrossFit athletes. Many past studies have analyzed the effect of BR on male athletes, this study aimed to include both males and females. Methods: This study used a randomized, cross-over, double-blind, placebo-controlled design to measure 500-meter row time. Thirty athletes age 18-60 consumed either a 2.7 oz shot of BR (6.5 mmol nitrate) or a placebo nitrate-free beetroot juice (PL). Two hours later, they rowed 500 meters. After at least a seven-day washout period, athletes repeated the 500-meter row with either BR or PL for comparison. This study was performed from July 2019 - January 2020 and was conducted in Mercer Island, Washington. Results: Ten males age 18.0 to 60.3 (median 47.7) and twenty females age 26.7 to 58.3 (median 43.8), participated in this study. Row times for the 500-meter row ranged from 88.2 seconds to 150.7 seconds. Data indicate that although 60% of all participants rowed faster with BR (mean 112.83 seconds), compared to PL (mean 113.40 seconds), the difference in the means of row times (-0.563) was not significant overall (P = 0.29). However, for the 10 males, row times were significantly faster (1.02 second difference, P = 0.04) on average with BR compared to PL. For the 20 females, the difference in mean row time (-0.335 seconds) was not significant (P = 0.66). Competitive rowers were defined as those who rowed under 110 seconds (N = 15). For competitive rowers (10 males, 5 females), row times were significantly faster with BR compared to PL (difference in means -0.94, P = 0.009). However, for those rowers, the P-value of drink * group was 0.015. Conclusions: Dietary nitrate improved indoor rowing performance in males but not in females. In addition, competitive rowers were also significantly faster with BR, however, there may be an order bias, since there was significant interaction between beverage type and testing order. Food based nitrate supplements may increase rowing performance with male rowers.
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