Exercise Performance and Dietary Nitrate Supplementation: A Brief Comment

Gustavo Vieira de Oliveira

Department of Phamacology and Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, RJ, Brazil

Gustavo Vieira de Oliveira, Department of Phamacology and Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, RJ, Brazil.

Keywords: Nutrition; Fitness Level; Nitric Oxide

Abstract

The dietary nitrate supplementation effect on exercise performance has been extensively studied. The consumption of vegetable rich in nitrate such as spinach, lettuce, and beetroot has gained popularity in the scientific literature due to the possible effect of the nitrate present in this food to promote nitric oxide (NO) bioconversion. The dietary nitrate can be reduced to nitrite in the oral cavity by the enzymatic action of nitrate reductase, which is expressed by oral commensal bacteria. Once in contact with gastric acid from the stomach, nitrite may be decomposed into NO and other bioactive nitrogen oxides [1]. In addition, NO bioconversion from nitrite may be favored during muscle contraction in exercise due to the intracellular homeostatic perturbation (i.e. low pH and low oxygen pressure) [1].

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