Beetroot juice does not improve strength training performance in recreationally trained women, according to a 2026 randomized controlled trial of 16 women published in Nutrition and Health. Women who drank beetroot juice containing 12.8 millimoles of nitrate completed virtually the same number of repetitions in bench press and leg press exercises as women who drank a placebo or nothing, with no meaningful differences in heart rate, blood pressure, or perceived effort.
A new study tested whether beetroot juice could help women do more repetitions during strength training. Researchers gave 16 trained women either beetroot juice (which contains a compound called nitrate), a fake drink, or nothing before they did bench press and leg press exercises. According to Gram Research analysis, the beetroot juice made no difference in how many repetitions the women could complete compared to the placebo or control. This finding challenges the idea that beetroot juice works as a performance booster for all athletes, especially women.
Key Statistics
A 2026 randomized controlled trial of 16 recreationally trained women found that beetroot juice supplementation had no effect on bench press performance, with women completing 56.0 repetitions after nitrate ingestion compared to 55.6 repetitions in the control condition (p = 0.785).
In the same 2026 study of 16 women, leg press performance was unaffected by beetroot juice, with participants completing 79.3 repetitions after nitrate supplementation versus 82.6 repetitions in the control condition (p = 0.945).
A 2026 crossover trial found that acute nitrate supplementation produced no changes in rating of perceived exertion, heart rate, blood pressure, or blood lactate levels in 16 recreationally trained women during resistance exercise.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: Whether drinking beetroot juice before strength training helps women do more repetitions in upper-body and lower-body exercises.
- Who participated: 16 women, average age 27 years old, who regularly do resistance training. They were recreationally trained, meaning they exercise regularly but aren’t professional athletes.
- Key finding: Beetroot juice had no effect on the number of repetitions women could complete in either bench press or leg press exercises. Women completed about 56 repetitions in bench press and 79 repetitions in leg press regardless of whether they drank beetroot juice, a placebo, or nothing.
- What it means for you: If you’re a woman who does strength training, drinking beetroot juice before your workout probably won’t help you lift more or do more repetitions. You can save your money and focus on other proven training methods instead.
The Research Details
This was a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, which is a gold-standard research design. The study used 16 recreationally trained women who visited the lab three separate times. Each time, they drank either beetroot juice containing 12.8 millimoles of nitrate (a natural compound that some research suggests improves athletic performance), a placebo drink that looked and tasted similar but had almost no nitrate, or nothing at all. Two and a half hours after drinking, the women performed four sets of bench press and leg press exercises, pushing themselves to complete failure (meaning they did as many repetitions as possible until their muscles were too tired to continue). The researchers measured how many total repetitions each woman completed under each condition. A crossover design means each woman tried all three conditions, which helps control for individual differences between people.
This research design is important because it allows researchers to see the true effect of beetroot juice by comparing each person to themselves under different conditions. The double-blind aspect means neither the women nor the researchers knew which drink contained the nitrate, preventing bias from affecting the results. This design is much stronger than simply comparing one group of women who drank beetroot juice to another group who didn’t.
This study has several strengths: it used a rigorous double-blind, placebo-controlled design; it tested the same women under all three conditions; and it measured multiple outcomes including exercise performance, perceived effort, heart rate, blood pressure, and lactate levels. However, the sample size of 16 women is relatively small, which means the results might not apply to all women. The study only measured acute effects (immediate effects from a single dose), so it doesn’t tell us whether long-term beetroot juice consumption might work differently.
What the Results Show
The main finding was that beetroot juice had no meaningful effect on how many repetitions the women could complete. In the bench press exercise, women completed an average of 55.6 repetitions with no drink, 58.9 repetitions with placebo, and 56.0 repetitions with beetroot juice. The differences were so small they could easily be due to chance (p = 0.785). In the leg press exercise, women completed an average of 82.6 repetitions with no drink, 80.4 repetitions with placebo, and 79.3 repetitions with beetroot juice. Again, these differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.945). The effect sizes were extremely small (ηp2 = 0.003 for bench press and 0.001 for leg press), meaning beetroot juice explained almost none of the variation in performance. The researchers also measured how hard the exercise felt to the women (rating of perceived exertion), their heart rate, blood pressure, and blood lactate levels. Beetroot juice had no effect on any of these measurements either.
The study found no differences in how hard the women perceived the exercise to be, their heart rate responses, blood pressure changes, or lactate accumulation between the beetroot juice condition and the placebo or control conditions. This suggests that beetroot juice didn’t change how the women’s bodies responded to the exercise at all. These secondary findings support the main conclusion that nitrate supplementation doesn’t provide an ergogenic (performance-enhancing) benefit for this population.
Previous research on beetroot juice and athletic performance has shown mixed results, with many studies finding benefits in endurance activities like running and cycling. However, most of this research has focused on men. This study is important because it specifically tests women, filling a gap in the scientific literature. The finding that beetroot juice doesn’t help with resistance training in women contrasts with some studies showing benefits in endurance sports, suggesting that the effects of nitrate may depend on the type of exercise and the population being studied.
The study only included 16 women, which is a relatively small sample size. All participants were recreationally trained women of similar age and fitness level, so the results may not apply to untrained women, elite female athletes, or women of different ages. The study only measured the acute effect of a single dose of beetroot juice consumed 2.5 hours before exercise. It’s possible that different timing, different doses, or repeated consumption over time might produce different results. The study also didn’t measure blood nitrate levels, so researchers couldn’t confirm that the nitrate was actually absorbed and available in the women’s bodies during exercise.
The Bottom Line
Based on this research, there is low confidence that beetroot juice supplementation will improve strength training performance in recreationally trained women. Women who do resistance training should not expect beetroot juice to help them do more repetitions or lift heavier weights. Instead, focus on proven strategies like consistent training, adequate protein intake, proper sleep, and progressive overload (gradually increasing the weight or repetitions you lift).
This finding is most relevant to recreationally trained women who do strength training and are considering beetroot juice as a performance enhancer. Women who participate in endurance sports like running or cycling may want to consider separate research on beetroot juice for those activities. Men and elite athletes should not assume these results apply to them, as the study only tested recreationally trained women.
This study measured immediate effects from a single dose of beetroot juice consumed 2.5 hours before exercise. If you were to try beetroot juice, you would know within one workout whether it helped you. However, this study doesn’t tell us whether long-term consumption might have different effects, so that would require separate research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does beetroot juice help women build muscle or get stronger?
Research shows beetroot juice does not improve strength training performance in recreationally trained women. A 2026 study found no difference in repetitions completed or physiological responses whether women drank beetroot juice or a placebo before resistance exercise.
Should I drink beetroot juice before my workouts?
For strength training, beetroot juice appears ineffective based on current research in women. Focus instead on proven strategies like consistent training, adequate protein intake, proper sleep, and gradually increasing your weights or repetitions.
Does nitrate supplementation work differently for men and women?
This study only tested women, so direct comparisons aren’t available. However, most previous nitrate research focused on men, suggesting the effects may differ between sexes. More research is needed to understand these differences.
How long does it take for beetroot juice to work if it does work?
This study tested beetroot juice consumed 2.5 hours before exercise. The women showed no performance benefits at this timing. Different timing or long-term consumption might produce different results, but that requires separate research.
Is beetroot juice helpful for any type of exercise?
Some research suggests beetroot juice may help with endurance activities like running or cycling, though results are mixed. This study specifically tested resistance training in women and found no benefit. The effects appear to depend on exercise type.
Want to Apply This Research?
- If you want to test whether beetroot juice works for you personally, track your total repetitions completed in your main strength exercises (like bench press or leg press) on days when you drink beetroot juice versus days when you don’t. Record the date, exercise, total reps, and whether you consumed beetroot juice beforehand.
- Instead of spending money on beetroot juice supplements, focus your app on tracking the proven performance drivers: progressive overload (gradually increasing weight or reps), consistent training frequency (working out the same muscle groups regularly), adequate protein intake (tracking grams of protein per day), and sleep quality (hours slept per night).
- Use your app to track weekly average repetitions for your main lifts over 4 to 8 weeks. Compare weeks where you prioritize sleep, protein, and consistent training to weeks where you don’t. This will show you which factors actually impact your performance, rather than relying on supplements that may not work.
This research applies specifically to recreationally trained women and acute (single-dose) beetroot juice supplementation. Results may not apply to untrained women, elite athletes, men, or long-term supplementation protocols. Before starting any new supplement, consult with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian, especially if you have underlying health conditions, take medications, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. This article is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.