An interventional study of Beetroot Juice - Active + Exercise and Beetroot juice placebo + Exercise in Obese Individuals and Central Adiposity, sponsored by University of Virginia. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 40 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-09.
Sponsored by University of Virginia · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
This study is examining whether acute inorganic nitrate supplementation in the form of beetroot juice, paired with an acute bout of exercise, affects blood pressure and what is the magnitude of the difference compared to exercise alone.
Inorganic nitrate supplementation (NS) has gained popularity since the early 2010s as a means to improve exercise performance. The benefits of NS include, but are not limited to, improved exercise tolerance, reduced resting peripheral blood pressure, and improved vascular health. However, the post-exercise hypotension (PEH) effects of NS remain poorly understood, primarily due to poorly controlled studies with heterogeneous populations. NS has been shown to increase nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability (via the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway), which is independent of endothelial NO synthase and may play a role in conferring additive vascular benefits when combined with acute exercise. Purpose: To assess the effects of NS supplementation on the magnitude of PEH following acute exercise compared to placebo. Methods: Twelve young adults with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 with central adiposity (defined by waist circumference of ≥ 94 cm for males, and 80cm for females), and elevated resting BP will participate in a double-blinded crossover design and receive acute exercise + beetroot juice, acute exercise + placebo, no exercise + beetroot juice, and no exercise + placebo. Results: The successful completion of this project will elucidate the role of NS on PEH response with acute exercise and its potential mechanisms.
283 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity, Abdominal; 44 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 12 is below the median of 58 across 223 interventional studies indexed under Obesity, Abdominal.
Browse Obesity, Abdominal studies →University of Virginia is the lead sponsor of 672 studies on the registry; 138 are open to participants now.
Of its 60 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 41 (68%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
1 x 4 crossover design where each participant will be randomized to complete four conditions after at least a 3-day washout period.
Dietary Supplement: Beetroot Juice - Active + Exercise
1 x 4 crossover design where each participant will be randomized to complete four conditions after at least a 3-day washout period.
Dietary Supplement: Beetroot juice placebo + Exercise
1 x 4 crossover design where each participant will be randomized to complete four conditions after at least a 3-day washout period.
Dietary Supplement: Beetroot Juice - Active + No exercise
1 x 4 crossover design where each participant will be randomized to complete four conditions after at least a 3-day washout period.
Dietary Supplement: Beetroot juice placebo+ No exercise
Supplement with 140 mL nitrate-rich beverage (800mg NO3-) (\~12.9 mmol/L) 1 hour 30 minutes before lab visit after a 3-day washout + ACUTE EXERCISE and post-exercise blood pressure, and central hemodynamics measured via impedance cardiography.
Supplement with 140 mL nitrate-depleted beverage (\<0.1 mmol/L) after a 3-day washout + ACUTE EXERCISE, and post-exercise blood pressure, and central hemodynamics measured via impedance cardiography
Supplement with 140mL nitrate rich beverage (800mg NO3-) (\~12.9 mmol/L) 1 hour 30 minutes before lab visit after a 3 day washout + NO EXERCISE, and blood pressure, and central hemodynamics measured via impedance cardiography.
Supplement with 140 mL nitrate-depleted beverage (\<0.1 mmol/L) after a 3-day washout + NO EXERCISE, and blood pressure and central hemodynamics measured via impedance cardiography.
Blood pressure (Central and Peripheral)
The central and peripheral blood pressures will be measured using a validated automated system (Oscar 2 (SunTech)/ SphygmoCor system (Atcor Medical). This system processes brachial waveforms using dedicated software with a validated generalized transfer function to derive a corresponding aortic pressure waveform. Aortic waveforms are then further processed to identify systolic (SBP in mmHg), mean (MAP in mmHg), diastolic (DBP in mmHg), and pulse pressure (PP in mmHg). This allows calculation of augmentation pressure (AugP in mmHg) (due to wave reflection) and the augmentation index (AIx = (AugP/PP) × 100) in percentage units. Participants will sit for at least 15 minutes before each measurement.
Time frame: Before each condition and after every 15 minutes for 3 hours.
Impedance Cardiography
Measure of central hemodynamics (cardiac output (L/min), stroke volume (mL), and systemic vascular resistance (dyn.s.cm5) etc.) will be non-invasively captured using the PhysioFlow Q-Link System. This system uses electrodes placed on the participant's body and applies the principles of signal-morphology impedance cardiography to estimate central cardiac measures at rest and after exercise.
Time frame: Before, during, and after (upto 3 hours post every 15 min) each condition
Plasma/Saliva Nitrate and Nitrate
Plasma/Saliva samples will be collected to assess changes in plasma/saliva nitrate (measured in micromolar- uM) and nitrite (measured in nanomolar- nM) following either BRJ or placebo and in different exercise and control conditions.
Time frame: Before and after 2 hours post supplementation of BRJ, Placebo
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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