Beetroot juice (BRJ) has garnered attention as a potential nutritional aid for recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). However, evidence supporting its efficacy in female team-sport athletes remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the selective recovery effects of short-term BRJ supplementation following EIMD in trained female volleyball players.
The research involved seventeen female university volleyball players who participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. After baseline testing, participants performed 200 loaded vertical jumps, followed by the consumption of either BRJ or a placebo at 24, 48, and 72 hours post-EIMD. Recovery outcomes were assessed through various measures, including countermovement jump (CMJ) height, volleyball-specific agility time, pressure pain threshold, thigh circumference, visual analog scale soreness, and knee isokinetic measures.
Results
The findings indicated that CMJ height was the most significant functional outcome associated with BRJ supplementation. The treatment × time interaction approached statistical significance (P = 0.062), with CMJ height being notably higher under BRJ compared to the placebo at 72 hours post-EIMD (P = 0.033, d = 1.01). Additionally, the calf pressure pain threshold also showed a favorable response to BRJ at 72 hours, with a significant treatment × time interaction (P < 0.001).
In contrast, other recovery outcomes such as agility time and soreness exhibited changes over time without clear differences between the BRJ and placebo conditions. Furthermore, thigh pressure pain threshold, thigh circumference, and low-velocity knee isokinetic outcomes did not demonstrate consistent advantages associated with BRJ supplementation.
Conclusion
The study concluded that short-term BRJ supplementation was linked to selective recovery benefits rather than generalized improvements following EIMD in trained female volleyball players. The most pronounced benefits were observed in CMJ height and calf pressure pain threshold at 72 hours post-EIMD, while other recovery metrics did not consistently favor BRJ.
What this study does not show
This study does not establish that beetroot juice supplementation leads to overall improved recovery across all measured outcomes after exercise-induced muscle damage.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: established
- Clinical validity: established
- Clinical utility: partial
The evidence class is human_rct, indicating a randomized controlled trial involving human participants.