A randomized crossover in Nutrients tested 800 mg of nitrate from beetroot juice in 13 physically active young men.
Peak torque and power improved by roughly 3 to 4% at angular velocities of 60 and 180 degrees per second, with nothing at 240 degrees per second.
The digest logged this as a category signal rather than evidence: the beetroot and nitrate literature is dense with small positive trials of this shape.
The numbers
| Nitrate dose | 800 mg |
| Peak torque and power at 60 and 180 degrees per second | roughly 3 to 4% improvement |
| At 240 degrees per second | no improvement |
What this does not show
- Anything about endurance. Isokinetic strength testing at fixed angular velocities on a dynamometer, not endurance performance.
- A robust effect. n=13, males only, and the improvement appeared at two of three tested speeds. Small crossovers of this shape are common in the nitrate literature and often fail to scale.
- Generalisability. Physically active young men in a single small trial. Nothing here supports a recommendation for athletes broadly.
Caveats worth holding
- n=13, males only, isokinetic strength rather than endurance outcomes.
- Figures come from trade reporting; p values and exact effect sizes were not captured in the digest note.
- The journal publication date was not verified in the digest; 31 Jul 2026 is the trade report date.
- A category signal, not evidence for a fueling or supplement recommendation.