Participant compensation is a small gift card to express gratitude for their time. All other supplies are vital necessities to complete the project. Leftover blood draw supplies, as well as equipment used for the storage of blood samples can be used in future performance nutrition projects.

Additional Information

Additional Rationale:

Beetroot juice (BRJ) is considered as a dietary supplement due to its high NO3− content; therefore, it may improve mitochondrial respiration and oxidative phosphorylation. In trained athletes, short-term BRJ supplementation for five days has shown to decrease VO2 as much as 3% at an intensity of 70% VO2max.

Some studies have indicated that RR supplementation can diminish mental fatigue as shown by the improvement in the results of tests involving complex perceptive and cognitive cerebral functions, as well as neuromotoric function. One study indicated that chronic RR supplementation can improve the results of some psychomotor tests (simple and choice reaction time) in young, healthy, and physically active men.

In addition, Rhodiola Rosea (RR), appears to influence various physiological mechanisms by stimulating the metabolism, improving fatty acid oxidation, having an ergogenic function, increasing the body resistance to intense exercise and having a cardio-protective effect too [Kucinskaite, 2004; Maslov, 2007; Panossian, 2005].

Dependent Variables:

1. Cognitive Function Test (e.g., Stroop Word-Color test)

2. Readiness to perform using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)

3. Standard clinical chemistry panel

4. Heart rate and blood pressure

5. Electrical activity of the heart

6. Lactate

7. Clinical blood profiles including oxidative stress markers (i. e. malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) and immunity markers (i. e. interleukin-6, interleukin-9, and tumor necrosis-alpha)

8. Performance and recovery performance evaluations at days 1 (baseline)&, 2, 7 (follow-up), and 2 & 8, respectively.

References:

Bailey, S.J., et al., Dietary nitrate supplementation enhances muscle contractile efficiency during knee-extensor exercise in humans. J Appl Physiol (1985), 2010. 109(1): p. 135-48.

Cermak, N.M., M.J. Gibala, and L.J. van Loon, Nitrate supplementation's improvement of 10-km time-trial performance in trained cyclists. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2012. 22(1): p. 64-71.

Clerc, P., et al., Nitric oxide increases oxidative phosphorylation efficiency. J Bioenerg Biomembr, 2007. 39(2): p. 158-66.

Darbinyan, V., et al., Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue — A double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty. Phytomedicine, 2000. 7(5): p. 365-371

Jówko, E., et al., Effects of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on mental performance, physical capacity, and oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy men. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2016.

Kucinskaite, A., V. Briedis, and A. Savickas, [Experimental analysis of therapeutic properties of Rhodiola rosea L. and its possible application in medicine]. Medicina (Kaunas), 2004. 40(7): p. 614-9.

Maslov, L.N. and B. Lishmanov Iu, [Cardioprotective and antiarrhythmic properties of Rhodiolae roseae preparations]. Eksp Klin Farmakol, 2007. 70(5): p. 59-67.

Panossian, A. and H. Wagner, Stimulating effect of adaptogens: an overview with particular reference to their efficacy following single dose administration. Phytother Res, 2005. 19(10): p. 819-38

Spasov, A.A., et al., A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of the stimulating and adaptogenic effect of Rhodiola rosea SHR-5 extract on the fatigue of students caused by stress during an examination period with a repeated low-dose regimen. Phytomedicine, 2000. 7(2): p. 85-89.

Whitfield, J., et al., Beetroot juice supplementation reduces whole body oxygen consumption but does not improve indices of mitochondrial efficiency in human skeletal muscle. J Physiol, 2016. 594(2): p. 421-35.