Selective recovery effects of short-term beetroot juice supplementation after exercise-induced muscle damage in trained female volleyball players.
4 affiliations
- 1Exercise Capacity Assessment and Promotion Research Center, School of Physical Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
- 2China Volleyball College, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
- 3Department of Sport Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, South Korea.
- 4Jilin Green Food Engineering Research Institute, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
Abstract
Background
Beetroot juice (BRJ) has been proposed as a nutritional aid for recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD), but evidence in female team-sport athletes is limited. It also remains unclear whether any benefit extends across functional, pain-related, swelling, and strength outcomes.Methods
Seventeen female university volleyball players entered a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Four did not complete the second period, so outcomes were analyzed with linear mixed models. After baseline testing, participants performed 200 loaded vertical jumps and consumed BRJ or placebo at 24, 48, and 72 h post-EIMD. Recovery outcomes were countermovement jump (CMJ) height, volleyball-specific agility time, pressure pain threshold, thigh circumference, visual analog scale soreness, and knee isokinetic measures. Holm-adjusted planned contrasts were used.Results
CMJ height was the clearest BRJ-related functional finding. The treatment × time interaction showed a trend toward statistical significance (P = 0.062), and CMJ height was higher under BRJ than PLA at 72 h post-EIMD (P = 0.033, d = 1.01). Calf pressure pain threshold also favored BRJ at 72 h, accompanied by a significant treatment × time interaction (P < 0.001). In contrast, agility time and soreness changed over time without clear between-condition differences, while thigh pressure pain threshold, thigh circumference, and low-velocity knee isokinetic outcomes showed no consistent BRJ-related advantage.Conclusions
Short-term BRJ supplementation was associated with selective rather than generalized recovery benefits after EIMD in trained female volleyball players. The clearest findings were higher CMJ height and calf PPT under BRJ than PLA at 72 h, whereas the remaining outcomes showed no consistent treatment-related differences.
Related
- Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Performance Retention During Detraining and Recovery After Simulated Return-to-Training Stress in College Volleyball Players: An Exploratory Randomized, Single-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
- Effect of Beetroot Supplementation on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Individuals with Prediabetes: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
- Effects of Yeast Protein–Whey Protein Composite Supplementation on Recovery from Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Well-Trained Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- The Effect of Acute Beetroot Juice and Caffeine Supplementation on Specific Judo Performance During a Simulated Competition Day in Judo Athletes.
- Monitoring CMJ-derived metrics and subjective recovery across a competitive microcycle in semi-professional women’s volleyball
BibTeX
@article{zhang2026selective,
title = {{Selective recovery effects of short-term beetroot juice supplementation after exercise-induced muscle damage in trained female volleyball players.}},
author = {Shuning Zhang and Xudong Yang and Hongqi Xu and Qing Liu and Helong Quan},
journal = {Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1080/15502783.2026.2751785},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42899516},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Selective recovery effects of short-term beetroot juice supplementation after exercise-induced muscle damage in trained female volleyball players.
AU - Shuning Zhang
AU - Xudong Yang
AU - Hongqi Xu
AU - Qing Liu
AU - Helong Quan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
DO - 10.1080/15502783.2026.2751785
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42899516
AB - Background Beetroot juice (BRJ) has been proposed as a nutritional aid for recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD), but evidence in female team-sport athletes is limited. It also remains unclear whether any benefit extends across functional, pain-related, swelling, and strength outcomes.Methods Seventeen female university volleyball players entered a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Four did not complete the second period, so outcomes were analyzed with linear mixed models. After baseline testing, participants performed 200 loaded vertical jumps and consumed BRJ or placebo at 24, 48, and 72 h post-EIMD. Recovery outcomes were countermovement jump (CMJ) height, volleyball-specific agility time, pressure pain threshold, thigh circumference, visual analog scale soreness, and knee isokinetic measures. Holm-adjusted planned contrasts were used.Results CMJ height was the clearest BRJ-related functional finding. The treatment × time interaction showed a trend toward statistical significance (P = 0.062), and CMJ height was higher under BRJ than PLA at 72 h post-EIMD (P = 0.033, d = 1.01). Calf pressure pain threshold also favored BRJ at 72 h, accompanied by a significant treatment × time interaction (P < 0.001). In contrast, agility time and soreness changed over time without clear between-condition differences, while thigh pressure pain threshold, thigh circumference, and low-velocity knee isokinetic outcomes showed no consistent BRJ-related advantage.Conclusions Short-term BRJ supplementation was associated with selective rather than generalized recovery benefits after EIMD in trained female volleyball players. The clearest findings were higher CMJ height and calf PPT under BRJ than PLA at 72 h, whereas the remaining outcomes showed no consistent treatment-related differences.
SN - 1550-2783
ER -