What it is
Regulatory status: food-derived dietary supplement; not a medicine
Mechanism evidence: human
At a glance
What it is, why people use it, the evidence, and what to know before trying it.
Why people use it
- Exercise endurance
- Muscular endurance
- Blood-pressure support
Evidence at a glance
Dietary nitrate has small average exercise effects in meta-analyses, with better evidence for some endurance conditions than for sprint performance. A tablespoon of non-standardized powder cannot be assumed equivalent to studied juice doses.
Confidence: moderate
Safety & interactions
Known side effects, interactions and use limits from reviewed sources.
Beetroot can cause harmless red urine or stool and may lower blood pressure. Kidney-stone risk, kidney disease, low blood pressure and interacting medicines warrant caution; antibacterial mouthwash can alter nitrate conversion.
Forms and variants
This review does not automatically apply to:
- standardized beetroot juice
- sodium nitrate
- whole beetroot as food
Seen in protocols
Public protocols that include Beetroot powder. Open one to see the full context and source.