Acute Administration of Inorganic Nitrate Reduces V˙O2peak in Endurance Athletes

• DOI: 10.1249/mss.0b013e318217d439
• Publication Date: 2011-03-29T05:57:02Z
• Authors: RAÚL BESCÓS; FERRAN A. RODRÍGUEZ; XAVIER IGLESIAS; MIGUEL D. FERRER; ELENA IBORRA; ANTONI PONS
• Keywords: Crossover study; Dietary Nitrate

Humans can reduce inorganic nitrate (NO(3)(-)) to nitrite (NO(2)(-)), nitric oxide (NO), and other bioactive nitrogen oxides. The purpose of this study was test the hypothesis that a single dose before exercise might enhance tolerance endurance athletes high intensity exercise.Eleven cyclists (age = 34.3 ± 4.8 yr, VO(2peak) 65.1 6.2 mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)) participated in randomized, double-blind, crossover study. Subjects received dietary supplementation with (NaNO(3) 10 mg·kg(-1) body mass) or placebo (NaCl) 3 h exercise. They then performed cycle ergometer consisted four 6-min submaximal workloads, corresponding 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 W·kg(-1) mass, interspersed min passive recovery. After 5-min recovery period, subjects one incremental until exhaustion.Plasma were significantly higher (P < 0.05) after (nitrate 250 80 μM, 2313 157 nM) than 29 8 1998 206 at resting conditions. Nitrate reduced VO(2peak)(nitrate 4.64 0.35 L·min(-1), 4.82 0.33 P 0.010) ratio between VO(2) power maximal 11.2 1.1 mL·min(-1)·W(-1), 11.8 0.031). This reduction occurred without changes time exhaustion 416 32 s, 409 27 s) W, 410 28 W).A oral acutely reduces VO(2peak)without compromising performance.