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A 2026 review of 33 studies involving 519 professional and amateur athletes found beet juice was linked to modest improvements in aerobic capacity and somewhat larger, still modest gains in high-intensity performance and power. A dietitian cited in Fit&Well said dose and timing matter; the findings do not establish that every beet drink or shot will help every athlete.
A 2026 review of 33 studies found that beet juice was associated with modest improvements in aerobic capacity and somewhat larger, though still modest, gains in high-intensity exercise performance and power among 519 professional and amateur athletes. The findings, reported by Fit&Well, suggest a possible workout benefit from nitrate-rich beet products, but do not mean every beet juice or shot contains a studied dose or will improve performance for everyone.
The review pooled research involving 519 athletes from a range of sports and experience levels. As Fit&Well reported, the researchers found a modest effect on aerobic capacity, which relates to sustained exercise, and somewhat larger—but still modest—effects on anaerobic performance and power. Anaerobic efforts include short, intense movements such as sprinting. The source says the results were consistent across studies, but does not provide effect sizes or enough detail to assess how much performance changed in practical terms.
Registered dietitian nutritionist Theresa Gentile, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fit&Well that beet juice contains dietary nitrate, which the body converts into nitric oxide. She said nitric oxide can widen blood vessels and affect blood flow and muscle oxygen use; these mechanisms may help explain the performance findings. That explanation is a proposed pathway, not proof that every person who drinks beet juice will notice a workout difference.
Gentile said research commonly uses 5–9 millimoles of nitrate, equivalent to about 300–600 milligrams, while some newer evidence cited in the report points to 8.3–16.4 millimoles, or 515–1,017 milligrams, as a potentially more beneficial range. She cautioned that nitrate levels vary across products. Sports-specific shots may provide a standardized amount, while ordinary grocery-store shots and juice can differ by product, beet source and processing. The source does not establish one universally effective serving.
What the Findings Mean for Training
The review matters because it gathers evidence across 33 studies, rather than relying on a single experiment, and reports possible effects on both sustained exercise and high-intensity output. Power is a notable part of the result: the review found the biggest effect was not endurance, but performance measures linked to high-intensity effort. Even so, the reported benefits remain modest, and the source gives no basis for treating beet juice as a substitute for training, recovery, or a balanced diet.
For recreationally active people, the findings may offer a practical option to discuss or test cautiously as part of a workout routine. The report says benefits may be more relevant to recreationally active participants, but does not give enough study-level detail to identify which sports, fitness levels or individuals are most likely to respond. Product labels also matter: a drink marketed as beet juice is not necessarily equivalent to the nitrate doses used in research.
The result is also a reminder to distinguish a plausible biological mechanism from a guaranteed outcome. Dietary nitrate may influence nitric oxide and blood flow, but an individual’s experience can differ, and the review’s average results do not promise a measurable improvement for each person. Readers with health conditions or questions about nitrate intake should seek advice from a qualified health professional before using concentrated products.
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How Dose and Timing Shape Use
Beets are a source of dietary nitrates, and the report describes the body converting those nitrates into nitric oxide. Fit&Well places the workout findings amid growing social-media interest in beetroot, but the number of hashtags mentioned in its article does not establish how widely people use beet products or whether they work. The relevant evidence in the report is the review of athlete studies, not online popularity.
According to Gentile, research generally suggests consuming beet juice two to three hours before exercise, around the time nitrate conversion and nitric oxide levels may be near their peak. She also cited studies in which daily intake for at least three days before an event was associated with benefits. The report characterizes a single dose two to three hours before exercise as the more practical and consistently effective strategy, while noting that early-morning workouts can make this timing difficult.
Gentile also discussed possible cardiovascular effects of beet juice and other nitrate-rich vegetables, including arugula and spinach. She said these foods may support blood-vessel function and modestly lower blood pressure, particularly in people with hypertension. The report says more research is needed on long-term dosing and whether supplementation offers added benefits beyond a healthy, vegetable-rich diet. Those points are separate from the review’s exercise-performance findings and should not be read as a treatment recommendation.
“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, quoted by Fit&Well
beetroot juice concentrate shots with nitrate content listed
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Limits of the Beet Juice Evidence
The source does not identify the review’s journal, authors, publication date, individual study designs or the size of the performance changes. It also does not report how the results differed by sport, age, sex, training status or health conditions. Without those details, the findings support a cautious summary of modest average benefits, not a precise prediction for an individual athlete.
It remains unclear which dose is best: Gentile cited a commonly studied range and a higher range suggested by some recent evidence, but the report does not establish that the higher amount is appropriate or more effective for everyone. Actual nitrate amounts in commercial products can vary, and the report does not independently verify the contents of specific shots. Nor does it establish the long-term effects of routine supplementation or added benefits over eating nitrate-rich vegetables.
beetroot powder supplement with nitrate content listed
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What Athletes Should Watch For
The next useful evidence would clarify how large the effects are in specific sports and which athletes are most likely to benefit, while comparing standardized nitrate doses and different intake schedules. The source does not announce a follow-up study or a next review date. For now, readers can check product labels for nitrate content and treat timing and dose as variables rather than guarantees.
Anyone considering a concentrated beet shot should account for individual health needs and discuss supplementation with a qualified professional if they have a pre-existing condition or take medication. The current report supports a possible, modest performance aid when dose and timing align with research; it does not establish a universal recommendation. Longer-term cardiovascular claims also remain an area for further study.
nitrate test strips for beetroot juice
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Key Questions
Does beet juice reliably improve workout performance?
The 2026 review reported modest average improvements in aerobic capacity and somewhat larger, still modest, effects on high-intensity performance and power. It does not show that every person will notice a benefit.
How much nitrate did the studies use?
Dietitian Theresa Gentile told Fit&Well that most research uses 5–9 millimoles of nitrate, or about 300–600 milligrams. Some newer evidence cited in the report suggests 8.3–16.4 millimoles may produce greater benefits, but no single dose is established for everyone.
When should someone drink beet juice before exercise?
Gentile said research suggests taking it two to three hours before exercise. The report also mentions studies using daily intake for at least three days before an event, though an acute dose before exercise was described as the more practical and consistently effective approach.
Are ordinary beet shots equivalent to sports-specific products?
Not necessarily. Gentile said nitrate amounts in grocery-store shots and ordinary beet juice can vary, while sports-specific products may provide a standardized dose. The report does not verify the nitrate content of individual products, so check labels rather than assuming all beet drinks match study doses.
Source: rss
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