Multiday Beetroot Juice Ingestion Improves Some Aspects of Neuromuscular Performance in Semi-Professional, Male Handball Players: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study

• Alejandro Muñoz ^[1] ; Alfonso de la Rubia ^[2] ; Jorge Lorenzo ^[2] ; Raci Karayigit ^[3] ; Marta Garcés Rimón ^[1] ; Miguel López Moreno ^[1] ; Raúl Domínguez Herrera ^[4] ; Aaron T. Scanlan ^[5] ; Álvaro López Samanes ^[6]
  1. [1] Universidad Francisco de Vitoria

     Universidad Francisco de Vitoria

     Pozuelo de Alarcón, España

     
  2. [2] Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

     Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

     Madrid, España

     
  3. [3] Ankara University

     Ankara University

     Turquía

     
  4. [4] Universidad de Sevilla

     Universidad de Sevilla

     Sevilla, España

     
  5. [5] Central Queensland University

     Central Queensland University

     Australia

     
  6. [6] Universidad Pontificia Comillas

     Universidad Pontificia Comillas

     Madrid, España

     

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• Localización: International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, ISSN 1526-484X, ISSN-e 1543-2742, Vol. 35, Nº. 2, 2025, págs. 140-149
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The aim of this study was to examine the effects of multiday beetroot juice ingestion on neuromuscular performance in semi-professional, male handball players. Twelve handball players competing in the second Spanish national division received 70 ml of beetroot juice (6.4 mmol of nitrate [NO3−]) or 70 ml of a placebo beetroot juice (0.04 mmol NO3−) for three consecutive days in a randomized, double-blind, crossover manner with a 1-week washout between conditions. Following supplementation in each condition, players completed a neuromuscular test battery involving handball throwing, isometric handgrip strength, countermovement jump, change-of-direction speed, and repeated-sprint assessments, with side effects also measured. Countermovement jump (4.7%; p = .038; Hedge’s gav = 0.29) and isometric handgrip strength (7.8%; p = .021; gav = 0.59) were significantly superior with beetroot juice ingestion compared to the placebo. In contrast, nonsignificant differences were evident between conditions for all other neuromuscular performance variables (p > .05; gav = 0.00–0.27). Red urine production was the only side effect, demonstrating a significantly higher prevalence (p = .046) with beetroot juice ingestion. Three days of beetroot juice supplementation may be a useful nutritional strategy in semi-professional, male handball players given its ergogenic benefit to some aspects of neuromuscular performance.