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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. Dietitian Theresa Gentile says nitrate dose and taking it two to three hours before exercise may affect results; benefits are not guaranteed and vary by product.
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 high-intensity exercise performance, including power output. The findings suggest a possible performance benefit, but the dose, product and timing matter, and the results do not mean a beet shot will reliably improve every workout.
The review pooled research across different sports and athlete groups. According to the source report, researchers found modest improvements in aerobic capacity and somewhat larger, though still modest, effects on anaerobic performance and power. The report says findings were consistent across the included studies, but does not provide study-by-study results or explain how the researchers assessed the strength of the evidence.
Registered dietitian nutritionist Theresa Gentile, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fit&Well that beet juice supplies dietary nitrate. The body converts nitrate into nitric oxide, which can widen blood vessels and support blood flow. Gentile said this process may affect muscle oxygen use, contraction and fatigue; it is a proposed explanation for the performance results, not a guarantee of an individual response.
Gentile said research commonly uses 5–9 millimoles of nitrate, equivalent to about 300–600 milligrams, while some recent evidence suggests 8.3–16.4 millimoles, or about 515–1,017 milligrams, may produce greater benefits. These are reported research ranges, not individualized recommendations. Sports-specific beet shots may list a standardized nitrate amount, whereas nitrate levels in ordinary juice and grocery-store shots can vary by product, beet source and processing. Gentile said taking beet juice two to three hours before exercise is a practical approach used in research; some studies also examined daily use for at least three days before an event.
Potential Gains Beyond Endurance
The findings matter to people looking for evidence-based ways to support training, because the reported effects were not limited to steady aerobic activity. The review also found modest improvements in high-intensity performance and power, which may be relevant to short, demanding efforts. The results do not establish that beet juice will meaningfully change performance for every person or every type of exercise.
The practical issue is whether a product supplies a comparable nitrate dose to those studied. A small shot is not automatically equivalent to a research-tested serving: nitrate content can differ substantially. Consumers who want to apply the findings would need to check product information where available, while recognizing that labels and formulations may not match the studies.
Gentile also told Fit&Well that nitrate-rich foods such as arugula and spinach, and beet juice, may support blood-vessel function and modestly lower blood pressure, particularly in people with hypertension. That is a separate potential health effect, and she said more research is needed on long-term dosing and whether supplements add benefits beyond a healthy, vegetable-rich diet. Beet juice should not be treated as a substitute for medical care or prescribed treatment.
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How Nitrate Fits the Evidence
Beets contain dietary nitrate, which the body can convert into nitric oxide. As Gentile explained in the Fit&Well report, nitric oxide can widen blood vessels and improve blood flow. Researchers have studied whether those changes help muscles use oxygen or produce force during exercise; the 2026 review brings together results from 33 separate studies rather than reporting a new trial of its own.
Aerobic activity, such as steady running or swimming, relies mainly on oxygen to produce energy. Anaerobic efforts, such as sprints, involve short bursts of intense movement. The review’s reported results cover both types, with the source describing aerobic gains as modest and effects on high-intensity performance and power as somewhat larger but still modest.
The source report also notes that the evidence includes both professional and amateur athletes. Gentile said recreationally active people may be among those likely to benefit. However, the supplied report does not identify which sports, participant characteristics or training conditions produced the strongest effects, so readers should not assume the same result applies across all athletes or workouts.
“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, as quoted by Fit&Well
Dose, Products and Individual Response
The supplied report does not provide the review’s title, journal, authors, publication date or detailed methods, and it does not give effect sizes for the performance changes. Without those details, readers cannot judge how large the average gains were, how the studies differed, or how the review weighed research quality. The source characterizes the effects as modest; more specific conclusions would require the full review.
It is also unclear which athletes or exercise settings saw the greatest benefit. Gentile said recreationally active people may benefit, but the report does not establish that professional athletes, beginners or people with particular health conditions respond in the same way. Products may also contain very different amounts of nitrate, so results from a standardized shot cannot automatically be applied to ordinary beet juice or another brand.
The evidence described does not settle the best long-term dose or whether routine supplementation offers extra benefit beyond a healthy diet. People with health conditions, including those affecting blood pressure, or those taking medication should seek advice from a qualified health professional before using concentrated supplements. The reported findings are about possible support for exercise performance, not treatment of disease.
What More Research Must Establish
The next step is clearer reporting of the review’s methods and effect sizes, alongside further trials that compare specified nitrate doses across exercise types and participant groups. Research could help show whether the power findings hold in particular sports, whether timing changes outcomes, and how much individual responses vary.
For now, the source report offers a practical summary rather than a universal prescription: studies commonly used a measured nitrate dose, and Gentile points to a window of two to three hours before exercise. Anyone considering a beet shot can check its stated nitrate content and discuss concentrated supplementation with a clinician when relevant. The evidence does not establish that a shot is necessary, or that it will outperform a balanced diet and appropriate training.
Key Questions
Does beet juice improve workout performance?
The 2026 review reported modest improvements in aerobic capacity and somewhat larger, though still modest, effects on high-intensity performance and power. The findings do not guarantee a benefit for every person or workout.
When should someone drink beet juice before exercise?
Dietitian Theresa Gentile told Fit&Well that research commonly uses beet juice two to three hours before exercise. Some studies also examined daily use for at least three days before an event.
How much nitrate did the studies use?
Gentile said most research suggests 5–9 millimoles of nitrate—about 300–600 milligrams. Some recent evidence she cited suggests 8.3–16.4 millimoles may produce greater benefits. These reported ranges are not personal medical advice.
Are all beet shots equivalent?
No. Gentile said sports-specific shots may provide a standardized nitrate dose, while ordinary juice and grocery-store shots can vary. Check product details where available; a product’s size alone does not show how much nitrate it contains.
Does beet juice have proven long-term health benefits?
Gentile said beet juice and nitrate-rich vegetables may support blood-vessel function and modestly lower blood pressure, particularly for people with hypertension. She also said more research is needed on long-term dosing and benefits beyond a healthy, vegetable-rich diet.
Source: rss
