A small study involving 20 basketball players found that players who took a nitrate-rich supplement before warming up improved power and jump height. However, the effects were time-sensitive, and the researchers noted benefits may not extend or outperform placebo at later stages.
“These findings support a targeted, time-optimized use of BJ in warm-up strategies for explosive performance,” wrote researchers at Beijing Sport University and other institutions in China.
Beetroot juice is a recognized ergogenic aid with a global market estimated at US$14.66 billion in 2023 and projected to reach US$22.68 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2024 to 2030.
The nitrates in beetroot juice help relax blood vessels, offering benefits such as improved cardiovascular health, better blood pressure regulation and enhanced athletic performance.
Based on the study findings, the researchers proposed a protocol to leverage the identified 0-to-8 minute performance window.
“Athletes should ingest a single dose of BJ (≈8.4 mmol nitrate) approximately 2.5 hours before competition,” they wrote. “A BFR-enhanced plyometric protocol, as described in this study, should then be scheduled as the final component of the active warm-up, concluding four to eight minutes before tip-off or the initial sprint.”
Optimizing competition warm-ups
Warming up before competition can optimize athletes’ neuromuscular function, enhance performance and decrease the risk of injury.
Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is a technique that temporarily boosts the muscle’s ability to perform explosive movements. Maximal loading to induce PAP is often not possible due to a lack of equipment or the risk of injury. Therefore, blood flow restriction (BFR) has emerged as an alternative.
BFR simulates high-intensity stress and neuromuscular adaptations using low-load exercises. Previous studies have demonstrated that combining BFR with plyometric exercises can improve jump performance in the four to eight minute window post-activation, suggesting promising potential for the technique in warming up for competitions.
Beetroot juice is a source of nitrates, which can be converted to nitrites and then nitric oxide. This pathway is “preferentially enhanced in ischemic/hypoxic conditions—such as those created by BFR,” the researchers wrote. They noted that a gap exists in the literature regarding the effects of beetroot juice combined with BFR-induced PAP in basketball players.
Study details
The crossover study randomly assigned 20 healthy male basketball players, classified as tier two or higher, to consume either beetroot juice containing 8.4 mmol of nitrates or a placebo. After a seven-day washout period, they switched groups.
After consuming the juice, participants had a 2.5-hour rest period before performing a warm-up and being fitted with blood flow restriction belts at the base of the thigh at 50% arterial occlusion pressure (AOP). They then performed a five-minute plyometric jump sequence.
The results showed that beetroot juice significantly increased jump height, calculated from take-off velocity, peak power and peak rate of force development, during the first eight minutes, and the placebo showed higher jump height at 12 minutes. No performance benefits were observed in either group at 16 minutes.
The researchers noted that “the lack of sustained benefit beyond eight minutes underscores the need for precise timing in practical applications.”
Acknowledging the study limitations, they called for longitudinal studies to determine the effects of longer-term supplementation.
Source: Frontiers in Nutrition. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1699766. “Acute beetroot juice supplementation augments early neuromuscular performance after blood flow restriction: a crossover study in elite basketball players”. Authors: R. Nie et al.
