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A 2026 review of 33 studies involving 519 professional and amateur athletes found beet juice was associated with modest improvements in aerobic capacity and high-intensity performance, including power output. A dietitian cited in Fit&Well says nitrate dose and timing matter; the findings do not mean every beet juice product or workout will produce a benefit.
A 2026 review of 33 studies involving 519 professional and amateur athletes found that beet juice was associated with modest improvements in aerobic capacity and somewhat larger, though still modest, gains in high-intensity performance and power. The findings, reported by Fit&Well, suggest a possible benefit for exercise performance, but do not establish that every product or person will respond in the same way.
The review covered athletes from a range of sports and found effects across both aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Aerobic activity includes sustained efforts such as running, swimming and rowing; anaerobic efforts rely on short bursts of high-intensity movement, such as sprinting. According to Fit&Well’s account, the studies showed a modest improvement in aerobic capacity, while the reported improvements in high-intensity performance and power output were somewhat larger, but remained modest.
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. Nitric oxide can widen blood vessels and affect blood flow, and Gentile said this process may support oxygen use in muscles, muscle contraction and fatigue resistance. These are proposed mechanisms for the performance findings, not a guarantee of a noticeable result in an individual workout.
Gentile said many sports-specific beet shots provide a standardized nitrate dose, while ordinary beet juice can vary in nitrate content according to the beets and processing. She cited research commonly using 5–9 millimoles of nitrate, or about 300–600 milligrams, and said some recent evidence suggests 8.3–16.4 millimoles, or about 515–1,017 milligrams, could produce greater benefits. These ranges describe amounts studied; the source does not establish one dose as suitable for everyone.
Potential Gains Depend on Dose and Timing
The findings matter to people considering beet juice as a pre-workout option because the review points to possible effects in more than one type of exercise. The reported gains were modest rather than dramatic, and the review included both professional and recreational athletes. Gentile told Fit&Well that recreationally active people may be among those who benefit, but the source does not say the results guarantee improved performance for any particular athlete.
Product labels and preparation may affect whether a drink matches the nitrate levels used in research. A sports shot with a standardized amount may be easier to compare with the studied doses than an unspecified serving of regular juice, but consumers still need to check the product information. The finding is not a reason to treat beet juice as a replacement for training, a balanced diet or individualized advice.
Timing may also affect whether a person can use the approach practically. Gentile said research suggests taking beet juice two to three hours before exercise, when nitrate conversion and nitric oxide levels are expected to be near their peak. That schedule may be inconvenient, especially before early workouts, and the report does not show that a last-minute serving produces the same effect.
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How Nitrate Fits the Exercise Findings
The Fit&Well report links the interest in beet products to their dietary nitrate content. The body converts nitrate into nitric oxide, a molecule involved in widening blood vessels. Gentile described improved blood flow and muscle oxygen use as possible pathways through which beet juice could support performance. The review’s reported exercise outcomes are the central evidence here; the proposed biological explanation does not by itself prove how much an individual’s performance will change.
Fit&Well reports that the review pooled 33 studies and 519 athletes across a range of sports. The article says the results were consistent between studies, but the supplied report does not provide the review’s title, journal, exact methods or individual study results. Readers therefore cannot assess from this account alone how outcomes differed by sport, product, training status or study design.
For timing, Gentile also referred to studies using beet juice daily for at least three days before an event. She characterized an acute serving two to three hours beforehand as the more practical and consistently effective strategy. The report also mentions possible cardiovascular effects from beet juice and other nitrate-rich vegetables, including arugula and spinach, but says more research is needed on long-term dosing and any benefit beyond a healthy, vegetable-rich diet.
“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, speaking to Fit&Well
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Individual Results and Product Doses
The report does not provide enough detail to identify which sports, workout types or athlete groups saw the largest effects, or how large the average changes were in practical terms. It also does not include the review’s full methods or identify the specific products tested. The findings should therefore be read as a summary of reported study results, not a prediction for an individual’s performance.
Nitrate levels vary among ordinary beet juices and shots, according to Gentile, and the source does not give a universal product dose. It remains unclear from the report how long any benefit lasts, whether the higher dose range reliably outperforms the lower one, or which people are most likely to notice a difference. The report says longer-term cardiovascular effects and the optimal routine dose also need further research.
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What Athletes Can Check Before Trying It
The next practical step for anyone considering beet juice is to check the product’s stated nitrate content and compare it with the amounts discussed by Gentile, rather than assuming all beet drinks are equivalent. Those considering supplementation, especially people with health conditions or who take medication, should seek advice from a qualified health professional before making a routine change. The report does not offer individualized safety guidance or establish a universally appropriate dose.
For exercise timing, the source points to a serving two to three hours before activity as the approach most consistently supported in the cited research, with some studies also examining daily use for at least three days before an event. Further research is needed to clarify long-term use, dose and cardiovascular effects. The review’s full publication details and more study-level information would help readers judge how widely the findings apply.
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Key Questions
Does beet juice guarantee better workout performance?
No. The review reported modest average improvements in aerobic capacity and high-intensity performance. The source does not say every person or workout will benefit.
How much nitrate did the studies use?
Dietitian Theresa Gentile cited a commonly studied range of 5–9 millimoles, about 300–600 milligrams. She also noted that some recent evidence points to higher amounts, but the report does not establish a dose for every individual.
When should someone drink beet juice before exercise?
Gentile told Fit&Well that research suggests taking it two to three hours before exercise. Some studies also examined daily use for at least three days before an event.
Are regular beet juice and sports beet shots equivalent?
Not necessarily. Gentile said sports-specific shots often have a standardized nitrate dose, while the nitrate content of ordinary beet juice and grocery-store shots can vary. Check the product information rather than assuming the dose.
Are the long-term effects established?
No. The Fit&Well report says more research is needed on the optimal long-term dose and whether regular beet juice adds benefits beyond eating a healthy, vegetable-rich diet.
Source: rss
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