Effect of Beetroot Nitrates on Different Physical Skills in Colombian Rugby Athletes

Overview

Beetroot is a source of nitrates, which have demonstrated various positive effects in sports, with little evidence in intermittent sports such as ball sports (including rugby). Therefore, the study's hypothesis is that it may also have an effect in these sports. For this purpose, a beetroot extract was used, a product approved by the Colombian institution in charge of product approval and registration in Colombia, the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (INVIMA). This was done to determine whether it has any effect on various physical abilities required for rugby, such as speed, acceleration, strength, and fatigue perception.

Currently, nitrates (from beet juices or extracts) have gained relevance due to their vasodilatory effect, which has contributed to improving athletic performance. Their use has been studied mainly in continuous sports such as swimming, cycling, athletics, etc. However, research in intermittent sports (such as ball or combat sports) is limited and inconclusive, so further research is needed on their use and effect in these sports. Therefore, the study seeks to investigate the effect of administering beet extract for three consecutive days in rugby athletes, evaluating its effect on various physical capacities required for the specific sport, such as acceleration, speed, strength, and fitness. Due to the small number of participants, a randomization process is not possible. A representative sample of 44 is required, but only 10 are interested in participating. Therefore, the sample will be selected based on the number of people willing to participate (convenience sampling) and meeting the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Each athlete is subsequently characterized and evaluated by the nutritionist, who provides instructions on how to avoid consuming foods or substances that could affect the study. They will be provided with the necessary substrates three days before the physical tests, with one group receiving the beetroot substrate and the other a placebo. The following week, the groups will be double-blinded. The physical tests will be performed by a professional physiotherapist, who will apply the test protocol and use a Borg scale to assess perceived exertion. Finally, a descriptive and exploratory analysis will be performed on the collected data, using univariate tests for the mean (Student's t-test) or Wilcoxon tests, depending on the type of variable (continuous or ordinal), with a 95% confidence level. To measure the magnitude of the treatment effect on each measured variable, Cohen's d statistic will be used for those variables that required a t-test.