Dietary Nitrate and Healthy Older Adults

Influence of Dietary Nitrate Supplementation on Blood Pressure, Walking Economy, Functional Physical Capacity and Cognitive Function in Healthy Older Adults

This study investigates the influence of dietary nitrate supplementation on cardiovascular health and physical and cognitive performance in older adults. Participants will receive both a nitrate containing beetroot juice for 10 days and a nitrate depleted beetroot juice for 10 days

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cognitive Change; Blood Pressure; Functional Capacity; Brain Metabolism
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Nitrate-rich beetroot juice; Dietary supplement: Nitrate-depleted beetroot juice

Detailed Description

A recent exciting finding is that dietary nitrate supplementation (in the form of beetroot juice) appears to reduce the amount of oxygen needed to complete moderate intensity walking in healthy, young individuals. Nitrate is known to be converted in the body to nitric oxide (NO), a substance which reduces blood pressure and may affect the energy-producing mechanisms inside muscle cells. Exercise tolerance and muscle function typically declines with age and nitrate supplementation therefore may help improve cardiovascular health and the ability to carry out low-intensity daily activities in aging populations. The purpose of this study is to see if healthy, elderly individuals benefit from beetroot juice intake similarly to the effects seen in young adults. If this is indeed the case, then it may suggest that dietary supplementation with a relatively cheap, widely available, and natural food product may improve the ability of healthy elderly individuals to undergo everyday tasks and ultimately improve their quality of life.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Devon
    • Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom, EX12LU
      • Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 70 years to 80 years (OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 70 - 80 years of age
2. male or female

Exclusion Criteria:

1. involved in regular structured exercise

2. receiving medication for:

   • pulmonary conditions
   • cardiovascular conditions
   • metabolic conditions
   • musculoskeletal conditions
   • ulcerative colitis
   • renal disease

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: OTHER
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: CROSSOVER
• Masking: QUADRUPLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Nitrate-rich beetroot juice; 2 x 70mL concentrated juice per day for 10 days	Dietary supplement: Nitrate-rich beetroot juice; concentrated beetroot juice
PLACEBO_COMPARATOR: Nitrate-depleted beetroot juice; 2 x 70mL concentrated juice per day for 10 days	Dietary supplement: Nitrate-depleted beetroot juice; concentrated beetroot juice

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Blood pressure	Change in blood pressure between interventions	10 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Oxygen cost of exercise	Change in oxygen consumption during exercise	10 days
Serial Subtraction test	change in performance of the Serial Subtraction test	10 days
Microbiome	change in oral microbiome measured by sequencing bacterial 16S rRNA genes	10 days
Brain metabolism	change in brain metabolites measured measured by 1H MRS	10 days
6 minute walk test	change in performance of 6 minute walk test	10 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Exeter
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Andrew M Jones, PhD, University of Exeter

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): February 12, 2014
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): May 28, 2015
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): January 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 31, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 14, 2018
• First Posted (ACTUAL): March 22, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): March 22, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 14, 2018
• Last Verified: March 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 121964

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No