Dietary Nitrate Fails to Improve 1 and 4 km Cycling Performance in Highly Trained Cyclists
Open accessAbstract
We aimed to compare the effects of two different dosing durations of dietary nitrate (NO3-) supplementation on 1 and 4 km cycling time-trial performance in highly trained cyclists. In a double-blind crossover-design, nine highly trained cyclists ingested 140ml of NO3--rich beetroot juice containing ~8.0mmol [NO3-], or placebo, for seven days. Participants completed a range of laboratory-based trials to quantify physiological and perceptual responses and cycling performance: time-trials on day 3 and 6 (4km) and on day 4 and 7 (1km) of the supplementation period. Relative to placebo, effects following 3- and 4-days of NO3- supplementation were unclear for 4 (-0.8; 95% CL, ± 2.8%, p = .54) and likely harmful for 1km (-1.9; ± 2.5% CL, p = .17) time-trial mean power. Effects following 6- and 7-days of NO3- supplementation resulted in unclear effects for 4 (0.1; ± 2.2% CL, p = .93) and 1km (-0.9; ± 2.6%CL, p = .51) time-trial mean power. Relative to placebo, effects for 40, 50, and 60% peak power output were unclear for economy at days 3 and 6 of NO3- supplementation (p > .05). Dietary NO3- supplementation appears to be detrimental to 1km time-trial performance in highly trained cyclists after 4-days. While, extending NO3- dosing to ≥ 6-days reduced the magnitude of harm in both distances, overall performance in short duration cycling time-trials did not improve relative to placebo.
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An ergogenic effect of NO3− supplementation appears less likely in endurance-trained individuals.
“Although an ergogenic effect of NO3− supplementation appears less likely in endurance-trained individuals, i.e., [65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74], recent systematic reviews support its efficacy as an ergogenic aid during continuous endurance-type exercise [75,76,77] and high-intensity intermittent-type exercise [78].”
From Effects of Dietary Nitrate Supplementation on Weightlifting Exercise Performance in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [70]
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Ergogenic Effect of Nitrate Supplementation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Senefeld, J. W., Wiggins, C. C., Regimbal, R. J., Dominelli, P. B., Baker, S. E., & Joyner, M. J. (2020) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000002363 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
The benefits and risks of beetroot juice consumption: a systematic review
Zamani, H., de Joode, M. E. J. R., Hossein, I. J., Henckens, N. F. T., Guggeis, M. A., Berends, J. E., de Kok, T. M. C. M., & Breda, S. G. J. V. (2020) · Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition · doi:10.1080/10408398.2020.1746629 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Wickham, K. A., & Spriet, L. L. (2019) · Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism · doi:10.1139/apnm-2019-0063 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Campos, H. O., Drummond, L. R., Rodrigues, Q. T., Machado, F. S. M., Pires, W., Wanner, S. P., & Coimbra, C. C. (2018) · British Journal Of Nutrition · doi:10.1017/s0007114518000132 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Casazza, G. A., Tovar, A. P., Richardson, C. E., Cortez, A. N., & Davis, B. A. (2018) · Current Sports Medicine Reports · doi:10.1249/jsr.0000000000000494 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
d’Unienville, N. M. A., Blake, H. T., Coates, A. M., Hill, A. M., Nelson, M. J., & Buckley, J. D. (2021) · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00472-y · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Effects of Nitrate Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans: A Narrative Review
Macuh, M., & Knap, B. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu13093183 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
“…days 24 × 6 s sprints with 24 s rest; 7 × 30 s sprints with 240 s rest; 6 × 60 s sprints with 60 s rest (power in W) ↑ Power output for condition 1 ↔ Power output for conditions 2 and 3 McQuillan et al. (2017a) [27] 9 (M) Cyclists (VO2peak: 68 ± 3 mL/kg/min) 9 mmol NO3− 3 for 7 consecutive days 1…”
BackgroundMethodInfluence of Nitrate Supplementation on Endurance Cyclic Sports Performance: A Systematic Review
Calvo, J. L., Francesca, A.-C., Pareja-Galeano, H., & Sáiz, S. L. J. (2020) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu12061796 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
“[38] M, cyclists (n = 9) 27 ± 9 Endurance trained cyclists and competing in cycle races in the 3 months preceding the study; training volume: regular 11.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialShort-Term Effects of a Ready-to-Drink Pre-Workout Beverage on Exercise Performance and Recovery
Collins, P., Earnest, C. P., Dalton, R., Sowinski, R. J., Grubic, T., Favot, C., Coletta, A. M., Rasmussen, C. J., Greenwood, M., & Kreider, R. B. (2017) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu9080823 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
San Juan, A. F., Dominguez, R., Lago-Rodríguez, Á., Montoya, J. J., Tan, R., & Bailey, S. J. (2020) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu12082227 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Saunders, B., Saito, T., Klosterhoff, R. R., de Oliveira, L. F., Barreto, G., Perim, P., Pinto, A. J., Lima, F. R., Pinto, A. L. D. S., & Gualano, B. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0222982 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
“It is important to contextualise these results with regards to previous research using ergogenic supplements such as caffeine, which has been shown to benefit the same exercise task [31], although not beta-alanine [32] or nitrate [33].”
ResultTan, R., Wylie, L. J., Thompson, C., Blackwell, J. R., Bailey, S. J., Vanhatalo, A., & JONES, A. M. (2018) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01006.2017 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“The influence of NO3 supplementation on TT performance is 465 controversial (10, 11, 12, 34, 35, 41, 45, 50, 57) and whether or not NO3 ingestion is 466 performance-enhancing appears to depend on factors such as subject training status, the dose and 467 duration of NO3 supplementation, and the intensity, duration, and…”
Backgroundde Oliveira, G. V., do Nascimento, L. A. D., Volino‐Souza, M., Mesquita, J. S., & Álvares, T. S. (2018) · Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism · doi:10.1139/apnm-2017-0828 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Balsalobre‐Fernández, C., Romero‐Moraleda, B., Cupeiro, R., Peinado, A. B., Butragueño, J., & Benito, P. J. (2018) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0200517 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Oskarsson, J., & McGawley, K. (2018) · Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism · doi:10.1139/apnm-2017-0547 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Carbohydrate Mouth Rinse Fails to Improve Four-Kilometer Cycling Time Trial Performance
Pires, F. O., Brietzke, C., Pinheiro, F. A., et al. (2018) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu10030342 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
“, 40 km and 20 km) [3,9,11,12] as well as short-lasting time trials (TT4km) [13,14] when investigating manipulations to potentiate cycling performance, evidence for the potential benefit of the CHO mouth rinse in short-lasting cycling time trial performance has yet to be provided.”
BackgroundMenezes, E. F., Peixoto, L. G., Teixeira, R. R., Justino, A. B., Puga, G. M., & Espíndola, F. S. (2019) · Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity · doi:10.1155/2019/7218936 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Hlinský, T., Kumstát, M., & Vajda, P. (2020) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu12092734 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“These seem to be possible explanations for the lower ergogenicity of DN supplementation in highly trained or elite athletes, as some studies failed to enhance the performance of the participants [52,71].”
Resultde Castro, T. F., Manoel, F. D. A., Figueiredo, D. H., Figueiredo, D. H., & Machado, F. A. (2019) · European Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1007/s00421-019-04094-w · Cited by 17 · see citing works
The Effect of Nitrate Supplementation on Cycling Performance in the Heat in Well-Trained Cyclists
McQuillan, J. A., Casadio, J. R., Dulson, D. K., Laursen, P. B., & Kilding, A. E. (2017) · International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance · doi:10.1123/ijspp.2016-0793 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Self-citationYu, T., & Ding, C. (2025) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2025.1675654 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“This finding aligns with (47) who reported that short-term nitrate supplementation actually impaired 1km time trial performance.”
InfluentialHuang, X., Zhang, Z., Wang, X., Wang, G., Wang, Y., Tang, K., & Gao, B. (2022) · Journal of the American Nutrition Association · doi:10.1080/07315724.2021.2021562 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Linoby, A., Yusof, S. M., Ismail, A. D., Isa, K. A., Omar, S. S. S., Jamaludin, M., & Puad, S. M. S. M. (2020) · Lecture notes in bioengineering · doi:10.1007/978-981-15-3270-2_44 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Photobiomodulation does not improve anaerobic performance in well-trained cyclists
Flores, L. J. F., Campos, F. D. S., Baumann, L., Weber, M. G., Barazetti, L. K., Nampo, F. K., & Ramos, S. D. P. (2023) · Lasers in Medical Science · doi:10.1007/s10103-023-03803-4 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Studies employing strategies that stimulate NO release, such as supplementation with NO inducers, have demonstrated contradictory results in well-trained cyclists and rec-reationally trained men [36, 64–67].”
Mildenhall, M. J. (2019) · Tuwhera (Auckland University of Technology) · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Factors influencing dietary nitrate metabolism in humans
Cocksedge, S. P. (2017) · Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter)
The Effect of Nitrate Supplementation on Cycling Performance
McQuillan, J. (2018) · Tuwhera (Auckland University of Technology)
Self-citationBharti, D. R. (2025) · Research Review Journal of Social Science · doi:10.31305/rrjss.2025.v05.n02.037
- Authors
- McQuillan, J. A., Dulson, D. K., Laursen, P. B., & Kilding, A. E.
- Venue
- International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
- Publisher
- Human Kinetics
- Published
- 2017-06
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 255-263
- ISSN
- 1526-484X (ISSN-L)
- 1543-2742
- OpenAlex
- W2564639765
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 6.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity)
- Funders
- Johns Hopkins University
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Keywords
- dietary nitrate, beetroot juice, nitrate supplementation, cycling performance, time trial performance, cycling economy, peak power, duration of supplementation
- MeSH terms
- Fruit and Vegetable Juices, Adult, Bicycling, Double-Blind Method, Humans, Male, Nitrates, Nitric Oxide, Oxygen Consumption, Cross-Over Studies, Dietary Supplements, Beta vulgaris, Athletic Performance, Young Adult, Athletes, Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
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