Popular Supplement Found to Help Men's Athletic Performance, But Not Women's

For years, people have been using dietary nitrate in various forms because of its purported benefits when working out. Studies have found that consuming nitrate before workouts can significantly increase muscle force as well as our muscles' ability to expand and contract, which can be especially helpful to athletes looking to improve their overall performance. 

Up until now, however, most of the research around nitrate's exercise benefits has centered around male test subjects. An October 2023 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology aimed to determine if women can reap the same rewards from dietary nitrate at the gym or on the field. 

Scientists at the University of Virginia's Department of Kinesiology examined twelve females and fourteen males in their early- to mid-twenties as they completed observed exercise after three days of taking nitrate through beetroot juice. They found that the beetroot juice reduced steady-state oxygen use by five percent in males, but not in females. At the same time, the beetroot juice enabled 15-percent longer exercise to the point of exhaustion. They concluded, then, that consuming dietary nitrate "improved exercise economy during moderate-intensity exercise and exercise capacity during severe-intensity time-to-exhaustion [exercise] in males but not in females."

As for why that may be, the researchers gave a few different hypotheses. "These differences could be related to estrogen levels, antioxidant capacity, nitrate-reducing bacteria, or a variety of known physiologic differences such as skeletal muscle calcium handling, and/or fiber type," the study authors wrote. "Overall, our data suggests the ergogenic benefits of oral [nitrate] supplementation found in studies predominantly on male subjects may not be applicable to females."

"This study revealed that males, but not females, improved exercise economy during submaximal exercise and exercise capacity during exercise within the severe-intensity domain following nitrate supplementation," they added. 

Before embarking on any supplement journey, it's best to ensure what's best for you by talking to your doctor.