Rugby is a team sport characterized by high-intermittent efforts, due to the importance of realizing intermittent and explosive efforts in rugby the use of nutritional strategies such as beetroot ingestion should be explored with the aim to enhance the capacity for repeating high-intensity actions in female players.

This study aims to determine the effects of different levels of supplements (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%) of red beetroot (B. vulgaris var. rubra L.) powder in the diets of laying quails on productive traits, egg quality, some blood parameters, yolk fatty acid profiles and cholesterol levels. A total of 112, 12-week-old female quails were used in the 4-week study. While the red beetroot powder (RBP) significantly affected egg yield, it was not effective on daily feed intake (DFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and egg weight (EW). Among the blood parameters, there were significant differences in terms of the triglyceride (TG), Ca and Na values among the trial groups. In terms of the egg yolk fatty acid profiles, there were significant differences among the palmitic acid and linolenic acid levels of the groups. The results obtained in terms of the egg yolk cholesterol levels showed that the RBP did not significantly affect the cholesterol levels. Consequently, considering its positive effects on some parameters like egg yield, egg yolk colour and palmitic and linolenic acid values, it may be recommended to add RBP to the diets of quails by up to 1%.

Scientific evidence supports that only a few dietary supplements have reported good evidence for improving sports performance, between we can mention beetroot juice supplementation with doses \> 5 mmol of NO3-. In this randomized placebo-controlled study, we investigated the effects of BJ acute supplementation in improving neuromuscular performance and match-play demands in female field hockey players.

INTERVENTION:

The study is divided in four phases: selection of participants, screening, baseline/randomisation and intervention. Participants will be randomised into 3 groups using an online platform (sealed‐envelopes.com). A member of staff not involved in the study will be the custodian of the randomisation list and he/she will be responsible for the provision to the study participants of the nutritional interventions so as not to compromise the double‐blinding of the trial. Group 1 and Group 2 will be provided with a nutritional interventional, whereas Group 3 will be the control group. Participants in Group 1 will be asked to consume a small bottle (70 ml) of concentrated beetroot juice (Beet it shots, James White LTD, UK), which is naturally enriched in inorganic nitrate (approximately 400 mg of inorganic nitrate). Participants will be asked to drink the beetroot juice in the morning and will be provided with a form to record the time of the consumption and if they experience any problems. Participants will be considered not compliant to the intervention if they miss 7 or more supplementation days. Participants will be asked not to change their habitual dietary habits, physical activity level and alcohol and caffeinated drinks consumption during the trial. Participants will be provided with the specific amount of beetroot juice to be consumed during the intervention period. Participants in Group 1 will also be asked to take one folate capsule (5 mg folate) every morning after consumption of the beetroot juice, and will be provided with a form to record the time of consumption and if they experience any problems. Participants will be considered not compliant with the intervention if they miss seven or more supplementation days. Participants will be provided with the specific amount of capsules to be consumed during the intervention period. Capsules will be dispensed in plastic containers showing

CONDITION:

Hypertension ; Circulatory System ; Hypertension (high blood pressure)

PRIMARY OUTCOME:

Compliance to the intervention, assessed using self‐developed standardised feedback questionnaires at the baseline, 30 days and 60 days (end of the study).

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

1. Aged 50‐70 years old 2. Non‐smokers 3. Drug naïve 4. Hypertension (stage 1, systolic blood pressure 130‐170 mmHg) 5. BMI 18‐40 kg/m²

SECONDARY OUTCOME:

; 1. Changes in resting and 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP):; 1.1. Resting blood pressure assessed using an automated BP monitor at the baseline, after 1 month and at the end of the study; 1.2. 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure assessed using a BP monitor with an inflatable cuff secured around the arm, which will regularly inflate and deflate over the 24 hour period; 2. Changes in whole‐body nitric oxide (NO) production, assessed using the Oral Nitrate Test (non‐invasive stable isotope method) at the baseline and after 60 days (end of the study); 3. Blood nitrate concentration, assessed using the ONT method, with samples then being derivatised using the nitromesitylene method and the enrichment level of the tracer will be determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry at the baseline and after 60 days (end of the study); 4. Blood folate concentration, assessed using the ONT method, with samples then being derivatised using the nitromesitylene method and the enrichment level of the tracer will be determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry at the baseline and after 60 days (end of the study); 5. Validity of Berkeley Life Nitric Oxide Saliva Test Strips for the assessment of nitrite concentrations, assessed at the baseline and after 30 and 60 days;

This study was a randomized, double-blind, crossover design for 3 weeks. In the first week, a researcher explained all the experimental procedures to the participants. In the following two weeks, the participants attended the Exercise Physiology laboratory to be assessed in 2 rowing ergometer sessions, separated from each other by a washout period of 7 days, under the same environmental conditions.

In both strictly identical sessions, the participants randomly ingested beetroot juice (BRJ) or placebo (PL) 3 hours before the start of the tests.

<b>

PURPOSE:

</b>We investigated the effects of an acute 24-h nitrate-rich beetroot juice supplement (BR) on the energy cost, exercise efficiency and blood pressure responses to intermittent walking at different gradients.<b>

METHODS:

</b>In a double-blind, cross-over design, eight participants were provided with a total of 350 ml of nitrate-rich (~ 20.5 mmol nitrate) BR or placebo (PLA) across 24 h before completing intermittent walking at 3 km/h on treadmill at gradients of 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20%.<b>

RESULTS:

</b>Resting mean arterial pressure (MAP) was ~ 4.1% lower after BR (93 vs. 89 mmHg; P = 0.001), as well as during exercise (102 vs. 99 mmHg; P = 0.011) and recovery (97 vs. 94 mmHg; P = 0.001). Exercising (1227 vs. 1129 ml/min P < 0.001) and end-stage (1404 vs. 1249 ml/min; P = 0.002) oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]O2) was lower in BR compared to PLA, which was accompanied by an average reduction in phase II [Formula: see text]O2 amplitude (1067 vs. 940 ml/min; P = 0.025). Similarly, recovery [Formula: see text]O2 (509 vs. 458 ml/min; P = 0.001) was lower in BR. Whole blood potassium concentration increased from pre-post exercise in PLA (4.1 ± 0.3 vs. 4.5 ± 0.3 mmol/L; P = 0.013) but not BR (4.1 ± 0.31 vs. 4.3 ± 0.2 mmol/L; P = 0.188).<b>

CONCLUSIONS:

</b>Energy cost of exercise, recovery of [Formula: see text]O2, MAP and blood markers were ameliorated after BR. Previously-reported mechanisms explain these findings, which are more noticeable during less-efficient walking at steep gradients (15-20%). These findings have practical implications for hill-walkers.

Dietary supplementation with beetroot juice (BR), containing approximately 5-8 mmol inorganic nitrate (NO3(-)), increases plasma nitrite concentration ([NO2(-)]), reduces blood pressure, and may positively influence the physiological responses to exercise. However, the dose-response relationship between the volume of BR ingested and the physiological effects invoked has not been investigated. In a balanced crossover design, 10 healthy men ingested 70, 140, or 280 ml concentrated BR (containing 4.2, 8.4, and 16.8 mmol NO3(-), respectively) or no supplement to establish the effects of BR on resting plasma [NO3(-)] and [NO2(-)] over 24 h. Subsequently, on six separate occasions, 10 subjects completed moderate-intensity and severe-intensity cycle exercise tests, 2.5 h postingestion of 70, 140, and 280 ml BR or NO3(-)-depleted BR as placebo (PL). Following acute BR ingestion, plasma [NO2(-)] increased in a dose-dependent manner, with the peak changes occurring at approximately 2-3 h. Compared with PL, 70 ml BR did not alter the physiological responses to exercise. However, 140 and 280 ml BR reduced the steady-state oxygen (O2) uptake during moderate-intensity exercise by 1.7% (P = 0.06) and 3.0% (P < 0.05), whereas time-to-task failure was extended by 14% and 12% (both P < 0.05), respectively, compared with PL. The results indicate that whereas plasma [NO2(-)] and the O2 cost of moderate-intensity exercise are altered dose dependently with NO3(-)-rich BR, there is no additional improvement in exercise tolerance after ingesting BR containing 16.8 compared with 8.4 mmol NO3(-). These findings have important implications for the use of BR to enhance cardiovascular health and exercise performance in young adults.

Black adults are 30% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to White adults, and more than half of this racial disparity in cardiovascular mortality may be attributed to the substantially greater prevalence of high blood pressure and vascular dysfunction in Black adults. Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent signaling molecule and key regular of vascular function that is suspected to be reduced in black individuals, but can be enriched by dietary nitrate (e.g., arugula, spinach, beets). The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that increasing NO bioavailability via nitrate-rich beetroot juice (BRJ) will lower blood pressure and improve vascular health in Black adults.

Functional sympatholysis (FS) is attenuated in patients diagnosed with hypertension (HTN) and hypertensive animal models alike. There is conflicting evidence, however, between human and animal models on the role of nitric oxide (NO) in determining the degree of FS. Therefore, we sought to determine if an oral dose of dietary nitrate [beetroot juice (BRJ)], which increases NO bioavailability, would increase the ability to blunt vasoconstriction in the face of increased neural outflow during hang-grip exercise (HGE) in HTN patients. We tested the hypothesis that the decrease in vascular conductance experienced by hypertensive individuals would be attenuated when ingesting BRJ two hours prior to performing 20% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) HGE, compared to the placebo (PL) condition. To date, five of the planned fifteen patients (1 male, 4 females) diagnosed with HTN have completed the study. Using a randomized, double-blind, crossover design, forearm blood flow and conductance responses to reflex increases in sympathetic nerve activity evoked by a cold pressor test (CPT) at rest and during dynamic handgrip exercise were evaluated following consumption of BRJ and PL. Following familiarization, a five-minute resting baseline was used to obtain resting forearm blood-flow (FBF) and conductance (FVC) followed by a two-minute CPT. To evaluate FS, HGE was performed at 20% MVC for seven minutes with CPT for the final two minutes. At the time of testing patients were taking various types of medication to treat HTN (e.g., angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor + diuretic, β-blocker, angiotensin II receptor blocker + diuretic). In resting conditions, mean arterial pressure (MAP) increased and FBF and FVC decreased during the CPT, but there was no difference between BJR and PL. During HGE at 20% MVC, MAP increased with the addition of CPT by ∼ 20 mmHg, with no difference between BJR and PL. However, changes in FVC were blunted following dietary nitrate supplementation compared to placebo. Baseline MAP (

BRJ:

104.7±4.4 mmHg) (PL: 104.3±4.5 mmHg) effect size (ES)= 0.04. Baseline FBF (

BRJ:

55.6±3.8 ml/min-1) (PL: 88.0±17.4 ml/min-1) ES=0.92. Steady state (SS) MAP (

BRJ:

121.8±3.4 mmHg) (PL: 121.0±4.1 mmHg) ES=0.09. MAP during CPT (

BRJ:

126.7±2.3 mmHg) (PL: 126.7±5.3 mmHg) ES=0.09. SS HGE vascular conductance (

BRJ:

229.0±24.9 ml/mmHg-1) (PL: 235.2±28.4 ml/mmHg1) ES=0.04. SS vascular conductance during HGE+CPT (

BRJ:

228.9±21.1 ml/mmHg-1) (PL: 222.0±28.0 ml/mmHg1) ES=0.10. δFVC (

BRJ:

-2.5±5.51%) (PL: -15.1±3.8 %) ES=1.0. The data from this study provide preliminary evidence that indicates dietary nitrates via BRJ may enhance FS in hypertensive humans during small muscle mass exercise in the face of increased neural outflow via CPT.

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