Acute inorganic nitrate ingestion does not impact oral microbial composition, cognitive function, or high-intensity exercise performance in female team-sport athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acute nitrate (NO 3 − )-rich beetroot juice ingestion on explosive and high-intensity exercise performance, oral microbiota composition, and cognitive flexibility (i.e., function), before and after maximal intermittent running exercise. Fifteen women team-sport athletes were assigned in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design to consume concentrated NO 3 – -depleted beetroot juice (PL; 0.1 mmol NO 3 − ) and NO 3 − -rich beetroot juice (BR; 12.0 mmol NO 3 − ) 2.5 h prior to performing a battery of exercise performance tasks and cognitive testing before and after the Yo–Yo intermittent recovery level 1 (YYIR1) running test. Resting plasma [NO 3 − ] and plasma nitrite ([NO 2 − ]) were elevated following BR ( P < 0.001). BR did not impact global composition or relative abundance of taxa in the oral microbiome ( P > 0.05) or cognitive flexibility before or after exercise ( P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in performance during 20-m (PRE, PL: 4.38 ± 0.27 vs. BR: 4.38 ± 0.32 s; POST, PL: 4.45 ± 0.29 vs. BR: 4.43 ± 0.35 s) and 10-m sprints (PRE, PL 2.78 ± 0.15 vs. BR 2.79 ± 0.18 s; POST, PL: 2.82 ± 0.16 vs. BR: 2.81 ± 0.19 s), isokinetic handgrip dynamometry, medicine ball throw, horizontal countermovement jump, or YYIR1 (PL: 355 ± 163 m vs. BR: 368 ± 184 m) between BR and PL ( P > 0.05). These findings indicate that acute dietary NO 3 − may not influence the oral microbiome, explosive and high-intensity exercise performance, or cognitive function in women team-sport athletes.

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