Objective: To investigate whether an acute intake of Beetroot Juice (BJ) improved performance factors in a repeated swimming effort at maximum speed in elite swimmers. Methods: A total of 13 elite swimmers (6 girls and 7 boys) participated in this randomised, double-blind study. In 2 different trials, the swimmers ingested an injection of Beet-It (70 ml placebo (PL) or an injection of Beet-It 70 ml beetroot juice (BJ)) 3 hours before undergoing a 6x100m crawl intermittent maximal speed performance test.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
13
The swimmers drank 3 hours before the test, mL70 of BJ (containing mmol6.4 of NO-3) (Beet-It-Pro Elite Shot, James White Drinks Ltd., Ipswich, UK) or PLA (0.04 mmol of NO-3)
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain
Lactate concentration
After the swimmers exited the water, their finger was wiped dry and their blood lactate concentration was measured with a portable Lactate Pro2 analyzer 1 minute after completing each 100-meter set.
Time frame: 3 hours post-dose of Beetroot juice or Placebo
Rate of Perceived Exertion
During the break between 100 and 100, they were asked how hard the effort had been using the subjective RPE scale as in other studies with BJ and swimming.
Time frame: 3 hours after ingestion of the beetroot juice
Recovery Total Quality Scale
Just before these same swimmers performed the next 100, they were asked how recovered they felt, using another subjective TQR scale
Time frame: 3 hours after ingestion of the beetroot juice
Total Time
The complete 6x100 main test was recorded with a JVC model GY-HM150E video camera placed on the stand of the facility itself at about 10 m from the start/turn wall (approximately 5 m above and 10 m from the swim lane) to record the entire session. The recording of the session made it possible to calculate the total times, with the program KINOVEA 0.9.5.
Time frame: 3 hours after ingestion of the beetroot juice
Parcial Time
The complete 6x100 main test was recorded with a JVC model GY-HM150E video camera placed on the stand of the facility itself at about 10 m from the start/turn wall (approximately 5 m above and 10 m from the swim lane) to record the entire session. The recording of the session made it possible to calculate the split times, with the KINOVEA 0.9.5 program.
Time frame: 3 hours after ingestion of the beetroot juice
Counter Movement Jump
Swimmers completed three repetitions of CMJ with hands on waist using an infrared jumping system (Optojump Next, Microgate, Bolzano, Italy)
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Time frame: 3 hours after ingestion of the beetroot juice
Stroke rate
The complete 6x100 main test was recorded with a JVC model GY-HM150E video camera placed on the stand of the facility itself at about 10 m from the start/turn wall (approximately 5 m above and 10 m from the swim lane) to record the entire session. The recording of the session made it possible to calculate the stroke rate, with the KINOVEA 0.9.5 program.
Time frame: from the day of randomization to the last day of the intervention: up to day 18
Underwater distance
The complete 6x100 main test was recorded with a JVC model GY-HM150E video camera placed on the stand of the facility itself at about 10 m from the start/turn wall (approximately 5 m above and 10 m from the swim lane) to record the entire session. The recording of the session made it possible to calculate the distances of the underwater swim at the start and the second turn, with the program KINOVEA 0.9.5.
Time frame: from the day of randomization to the last day of the intervention: up to day 18
Underwater time
The complete 6x100 main test was recorded with a JVC model GY-HM150E video camera placed on the stand of the facility itself at about 10 m from the start/turn wall (approximately 5 m above and 10 m from the swim lane) to record the entire session. The recording of the session made it possible to calculate the underwater time, with the KINOVEA 0.9.5 program.
Time frame: from the day of randomization to the last day of the intervention: up to day 18