Beetroot Juice Resistance Training Older Adults

Effect of Beetroot Juice on Body Composition, Physical Function, Muscle Strength, and Peak Oxygen Consumption in Resistance Trained Older Adults Consuming a Protein Supplement

The present study compared the effects of a nitrate containing beetroot juice supplement (BRJ+Nitrate) vs. a placebo (Control) on total and regional fat free mass, quadriceps muscle strength, lower body mobility, and VO2peak in healthy, older adults undergoing a 10-week long progressive resistance training program with protein supplementation.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sarcopenia; Old Age; Atrophy
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: BRJ+Nitrate; Dietary supplement: Control

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 24
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 60 years and older (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Able to provide own transportation to study testing visits and intervention
• Able to read and write in English
• Nondiabetic, i.e. fasting glucose < 126 mg/dl
• Sedentary (less than 60 minutes of moderate intensity structured physical activity each week and occurs in no more than 10 minute blocks and not participating in a resistance exercise training program)
• Willingness to provide informed consent and participate in intervention. Participants with diagnosed depression were permitted to participate provided that they have been medically stable without medication change for at least 3 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Smoking or use of chewing tobacco
• Involved in another intervention research study
• Diabetic (type 1 or 2)
• Atrophic gastritis
• Hypo- or hyperthyroidism
• Gout or history of kidney stones
• History of hypotension
• Premenopausal (women)
• Aversion to study-related testing procedures
• Allergy/sensitivity/aversion to beetroot beverages or protein supplement
• Medical conditions with contraindications for engaging in resistance training program or taking the protein supplement
• Systemic, uncontrolled diseases (diabetes, recent (last 6 months) or current treatment of cancer, thyroid disorders, cardiovascular disease, COPD, or inflammatory bowel diseases)
• Use of any of the following medications: phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, nitroglycerin or nitrate preparations, proton pump inhibitors, or medications for hypothyroidism
• Potential inability to complete the tasks required for the protocol as well as conditions that may interfere with interpretation of results including: inability to ambulate, severe congestive heart failure or severe cardiovascular disease, neoplasm for practical and neurophysiologic reasons
• Individuals with contraindications for performing a graded exercise test or have medical contraindications for participating in a scheduled exercise training program
• Individuals more than 300 pounds or less than 125 pounds due to DEXA weight limits and possibility of exceeding recommended daily nitrate dose of 7 mg/kg body weight, respectively.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: TRIPLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: BRJ+Nitrate; This arm underwent a 3 days a week, 10 weeks of resistance exercise training program and consumed for a 70 mL bottle of beetroot juice containing 380 mg of nitrate plus a 15 dose of whey protein after each exercise session.	Dietary supplement: BRJ+Nitrate; Participants in this group drank a 70 mL bottle of Beet It Sport drink with nitrate plus 15 grams of whey protein 3 days a week following a resistance exercise training program
PLACEBO_COMPARATOR: Control; This arm underwent a 3 days a week, 10 weeks of resistance exercise training program and consumed for a 70 mL bottle of beetroot juice containing 0 mg of nitrate plus a 15 dose of whey protein after each exercise session.	Dietary supplement: Control; Participants in this group drank a 70 mL bottle of Beet It Sport drink without nitrate plus 15 grams of whey protein 3 days a week following a resistance exercise training program

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Whole body fat free mass	Mass of fat free tissue	Collected at baseline
Whole body fat mass	Mass of fat tissue	Collected at baseline
Thigh muscle	Volume of thigh muscle	Collected at baseline
Thigh intermuscular fat	Volume of fat in the thigh muscle	Collected at baseline
Thigh subcutaneous fat	Volume of subcutaneous fat in the thigh	Collected at baseline
Visceral fat	Volume of visceral fat	Collected at baseline
Muscle strength	Strength of quadriceps muscle at a speed of 60 degrees per second	Collected at baseline
400 meter walk	Time to walk 400 meters	Collected at baseline
Stair climb time	Time to ascend and descend 12 stairs	Collected at baseline
Peak oxygen consumption	Peak oxygen consumed at maximal exercise during graded exercise testing	Collected at baseline
Whole body fat free mass	mass of fat free tissue	Collected at 10-weeks
Whole body fat mass	Mass of fat tissue	Collected at 10-weeks
Thigh muscle	Volume of thigh muscle	Collected at 10-weeks
Thigh intermuscular fat	Volume of fat in the thigh muscle	Collected at 10-weeks
Thigh subcutaneous fat	Volume of subcutaneous fat in the thigh	Collected at 10-weeks
Visceral fat	Volume of visceral fat	Collected at 10-weeks
Muscle strength	Strength of quadriceps muscle at a speed of 60 degrees per second	Collected at 10-weeks
400 meter walk	Time to walk 400 meters	Collected at 10-weeks
Stair climb time	Time to ascend and descend 12 stairs	Collected at 10-weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Wake Forest University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): February 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): December 1, 2014
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): May 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 4, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 12, 2022
• First Posted (ACTUAL): July 15, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): July 15, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 12, 2022
• Last Verified: July 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Muscular Atrophy; Atrophy; Sarcopenia
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB00025941

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

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