How Beetroot Juice Can Make You Run Faster & Last Longer

Looking for a safe, natural way to enhance your endurance and power through training? Beetroot juice, packed with dietary nitrates, is one of the most researched performance boosters in sports nutrition. From marathon runners to cyclists, athletes are turning to beetroot shots to improve energy efficiency, increase stamina, and reduce fatigue, without relying on caffeine or other stimulants.

Table Of Contents

• What Are Nitrates & How Beetroot Juice Boosts Performance

• Who Can Benefit from Nitrate Supplements? Athletes & Endurance Enthusiasts

• How to Use Beetroot Juice & Nitrate Supplements for Maximum Performance

• Beetroot Juice vs Nitrate Supplements: Which Is Best for Athletes?

• Key Tips & Takeaways

What Are Nitrates & How Beetroot Juice Boosts Performance

Nitrates are naturally occurring compounds in vegetables such as beetroot, spinach, and rocket. Once ingested, nitrate is converted in the body to nitric oxide, a molecule that promotes blood flow, improves energy efficiency, and reduces the oxygen cost of exercise. High-nitrate beetroot juice or concentrated shots provide a convenient, standardised way to increase nitrate intake for athletes¹˒².

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Dietary nitrate is converted in the body to nitric oxide through a natural process. Nitric oxide promotes vasodilation, enhances mitochondrial efficiency, and reduces oxygen demand during submaximal exercise³. These physiological effects are the scientific basis for nitrate’s ergogenic benefits.

Who Can Benefit from Nitrate Supplements? Athletes & Endurance Enthusiasts

Endurance athletes and moderately trained individuals experience the most significant performance gains. Nitrate supplementation can improve endurance, time to exhaustion, and energy efficiency, particularly during sustained submaximal exercise. Highly trained athletes may see smaller improvements, as their oxygen delivery and energy efficiency are already optimised²˒⁴.

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Nitric oxide increases blood flow to active muscles, improving oxygen delivery during exercise. Studies indicate that moderately trained athletes benefit most because highly trained athletes already have near-maximal mitochondrial function and vascular adaptation³˒⁵.

How to Use Beetroot Juice & Nitrate Supplements for Maximum Performance

Evidence-based strategies involve a 5-day loading phase of 300-600mg nitrate per day, followed by a top-up dose 2-3 hours before training or competition. PURE Sports Nutrition Performance + Race Ready Nitrates or 1x Beet It Sport Nitrate 400 Concentrated Beetroot Shot per day helps simplify this loading phase. Effects generally peak 1–3 hours post-ingestion, so timing is crucial to maximise performance²˒⁶.

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This approach matches the kinetics of nitrate conversion to nitric oxide. Plasma nitrate peaks 2-3 hours after ingestion, aligning with maximal vasodilatory and mitochondrial effects. Loading ensures tissue nitrate stores are sufficient to consistently support performance benefits³˒⁵˒⁷.

Beetroot Juice vs Nitrate Supplements: Which Is Best for Athletes?

While whole beetroot is rich in nitrate, concentrated supplements allow precise dosing and lower volume, which is convenient for athletes during training or racing. Whole beetroot also provides antioxidants, fibre, and micronutrients that support overall health. To achieve a performance-effective dose of 300–600mg nitrate, athletes would need roughly 500g to 1kg of raw beetroot (about 2–4 medium beets) or 250–500mL of high-nitrate beetroot juice, depending on nitrate content²˒⁶. This would almost definitely cause gut issues on race day. For practical performance use, concentrated beetroot juice or nitrate supplements are generally recommended.

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Nitrate content in whole foods varies widely depending on soil, harvest, and preparation. Supplements standardise intake, ensuring a reliable 300–600mg nitrate dose, which produces consistent nitric oxide-mediated benefits without excessive bulk⁵˒⁷.

Key Tips and Takeaways

• Dose→ 300-600mg nitrate per day for 5-day loading, with a top-up 2-3 hours before exercise. Use concentrated supplements like PURE Sports Nutrition Performance + Race Ready Nitrates, Switch Nutrition Beetroot or Beet It Sport Nitrate 400 Concentrated Beetroot Shot for convenience.

• Timing→ Effects peak 1-3 hours after ingestion

• Best for→ Endurance events, submaximal exercise, key workouts

• Who benefits most→ Moderately trained or endurance athletes; highly trained athletes may see smaller gains

• Form→ Supplements allow precise dosing; whole beetroot offers additional nutrients

• Mechanism→ Nitrate is converted to nitric oxide, which increases blood flow, enhances energy production in muscles, and reduces oxygen demand

Ash Miller
Dietitian and Nutritionist (Masters)
Bachelor of Physical and Health Education
Instagram: @ashthomo_nutrition

References 

1. Sports Dietitians Australia. NITRATE (Beetroot Juice) [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2026 May 21]. Available from: https://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/factsheets/supplements/beetroot-juice-nitrate/

2. Senefeld JW, Wiggins CC, Regimbal RJ, et al. Ergogenic effect of nitrate supplementation: meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2020.

3. Zamani H, de Joode MEJR, Hossein IJ, Henckens NFT, Guggeis MA, Berends JE. The benefits and risks of beetroot juice consumption: a systematic review. Food Sci Nutr. 2020;788–804. doi:10.1080/10408398.2020.1746629

4. Australian Institute of Sport. Beetroot Juice / Nitrate [Internet]. [cited 2026 May 21]. Available from:https://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/supplements/group_a/performance-supplements2/beetroot-juicenitrate

5. Chen L, Zhu Y, Hu Z, Wu S, Jin C. Beetroot as a functional food with huge health benefits: Antioxidant, antitumor, physical function, and chronic metabolomics activity. Food Sci Nutr. 2021;9(11):6406–20. doi:10.1002/fsn3.2577

6. Frontiers in Nutrition. Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Juice and Exercise Performance [Internet]. [cited 2026 May 21]. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1347242/full

7. Tian C, Jiang Q, Han M, Guo L, Huang R, Zhao L, Mao S. Effects of Beetroot Juice on Physical Performance in Professional Athletes and Healthy Individuals: An Umbrella Review. Nutrients. 2025;17(12):1958. doi:10.3390/nu17121958

Disclaimer:
The content in this blog is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always speak with your doctor or allied health team before changing your diet, exercise, or taking supplements, especially if you have a health condition or take medication. Please use this information as a guide only. Aid Station doesn't take responsibility for individual outcomes.