Abstract

Ingestion of dietary nitrate has shown to improve endurance exercise performance, however effects on
short-term maximal intensity exercise are currently unknown. The study aimed to investigate whether
supplementation with dietary nitrate has an ergogenic effect on sprint cycling exercise. Following a baseline
trial, ten recreationally active males consumed, in a counterbalanced fashion, 0.14 L of either nitrate-rich
beetroot juice (8 mmol.NO3-1) or placebo, the day before and 40 min prior to performing a maximal 30 s
Wingate cycling test. Following nitrate supplementation there was a ‘possible’ increase in mean power (7.95 ± 0.55
w.kg-1) during the 30 s sprint compared to control (7.78 ± 0.61 w.kg-1) and placebo conditions (7.63 ± 0.91
w.kg-1) (47% chance; 90% CI: -0.09 - 0.43 w.kg-1). On further analysis, via division into 5 s phases;
participants experienced ‘likely’ increases in mean power during 5-10 s (77% chance; 90% CI: -0.01 – 0.65
w.kg-1) and 10-15 s (81% chance; 90% CI: 0.05 – 0.57 w.kg-1) phases following nitrate supplementation
compared to control and placebo. The consumption of dietary nitrate, seemingly enhanced power output
between 5 to 15 s of maximal cycling, this occurred despite nitrate having no distinctive effect on overall
cycling performance.