The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if beetroot juice supplementation changes exercise performance following one week of Ramadan fasting in young, healthy adults. The main question it aims to answer is: Does daily beetroot juice supplementation change VO2 max in fasting individuals during the first week of Ramadan? Participants will: Visit the lab before the start of Ramadan and after one week of fasting If assigned to intervention group, consume daily shots of beetroot juice (70ml) during the first week of Ramadan fasting Perform maximal exercise testing on a cycle ergometer
Recent literature demonstrates data showing a decrease in VO2max during the first week of Ramadan fasting. This is a practice observed by millions around the world every year, where individuals abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset, dictated by the lunar calendar. Dietary nitrate consumption has been shown to increase VO2max and exercise performance. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to investigate whether dietary nitrate, in the form of beetroot juice, can help mitigate the decrease in VO2 max during the first week of Ramadan fasting. 24 young healthy adults will be recruited to undergo these two visits. The first visit will assess maximal oxygen uptake to determine aerobic fitness and metabolic exercise intensity zones under non-fasting conditions. The second visit will be completed after one week of Ramadan fasting. If assigned to the intervention group, participants will consume one shot (70ml) of Blonyx - Beet It Sport Nitrate 400 beetroot juice every day. Each shot contains 400mg of nitrates. Urine Specific Gravity will be measured after each visit to assess hydration status. The intervention group will also undergo Single Blood Draws after each visit to assess nitrate concentrations before and after a week of consumption.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
21
7 doses, taken daily, 70 ml shots, consumed in the morning before the start of fasting
University of Guelph
Guelph, Canada
VO2 max
Maximal Oxygen Uptakes will be assessed to analyze aerobic capacity and fitness under fasting conditions.
Time frame: One--week differences between before and after 1 week of fasting, nitrate supplementation if in intervention group
Nitrate Concentration levels
Single blood draws will be taken after each visit for the nitrate supplementation group
Time frame: Comparison between blood before and after nitrate supplementation: one week
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