In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, researchers in the Republic of Korea synthesized evidence from placebo-controlled trials of beetroot juice supplementation and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) or maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) during aerobic exercise.
Beetroot juice has attracted substantial interest as a sports nutritional supplement due to its high levels of inorganic nitrate. Nitrate is converted to nitrite, which is then converted to nitric oxide (NO). NO plays an important role in oxygen delivery, muscle contraction, and vascular function. These effects provide a biological rationale for, but do not establish, the possibility that beetroot juice may improve aerobic exercise performance.
VO2max is a widely used measure of aerobic capacity and cardiovascular fitness. Nevertheless, the criteria for confirming a true VO2max are not met or reported in many trials. In such cases, the highest oxygen uptake is described as VO2peak. However, prior reviews have often combined evidence on VO2max or VO2peak with broader exercise-performance outcomes and have not always distinguished verified VO2max from VO2peak.
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