Abstract
Our purpose was to verify the effects of inorganic nitrate combined to a short training program on 10-km running time-trial (TT) performance, maximum and average power on a Wingate test, and lactate concentration ([La−]) in recreational runners. Sixteen healthy participants were divided randomly into two groups: Nitrate (n = 8) and placebo (n = 8). The experimental group ingested 750 mg/day (~12 mmol) of nitrate plus 5 g of resistant starch, and the control group ingested 6 g of resistant starch, for 30 days. All variables were assessed at baseline and weekly over 30 days. Training took place 3x/week. The time on a 10-km TT decreased significantly (p < 0.001) in all timepoints compared to baseline in both groups, but only the nitrate group was faster in week 2 compared to 1. There was a significant group × time interaction (p < 0.001) with lower [La] in the nitrate group at week 2 (p = 0.032), week 3 (p = 0.002), and week 4 (p = 0.003). There was a significant group time interaction (p = 0.028) for Wingate average power and a main effect of time for maximum power (p < 0.001) and [La−] for the 60-s Wingate test. In conclusion, nitrate ingestion during a four-week running program improved 10-km TT performance and kept blood [La−] steady when compared to placebo in recreational runners.
Highlights
Nitrate is an inorganic anion present in the environment in various foods, especially vegetables such as celery, beetroot, lettuce and spinach [1,2]
The purpose of the present study was to verify the effects of inorganic nitrate supplementation combined with a periodized running program on two different outcomes; the primary was 10-km running TT performance and the power developed during a Wingate test, and the second was the [La− ] in the mentioned tests in recreationally trained runners
This study is the first to analyze the effects of a four-week periodized training program supplemented with daily nitrate of a four-week periodized training program supplemented with daily nitrate ingestion on a 10-km running TT and power developed during a 60-s maximal cycling test in recreational runners
Summary
Nitrate is an inorganic anion present in the environment in various foods, especially vegetables such as celery, beetroot, lettuce and spinach [1,2]. Nitrate circulates through the plasma, with an average half-life of 5 h. After it is absorbed in the blood, about 25% returns to the salivary glands, through an active transport, and concentrates in the saliva, with the rest being. Nitrate concentrated in saliva is converted to nitrite by facultative commensal bacteria, which reside in crypts on the surface of the tongue. After that, this nitrite can be converted to nitric oxide in the stomach, due to its acidity becoming available to the organism [1,3,4,5]. Nitrate is consumed usually between 1.5 h and 3 h before exercise, in a single dose up to five times per day [6,7,9,10,11]
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