Acute Effects of Beetroot Extract Supplementation on Blood Pressure, Oxidative Stress, and Muscle Oxygen Saturation in Hypertensive Older Women Submitted to an Aerobic Exercise Session

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how beetroot extract affects blood pressure and muscle oxygen levels during exercise in older women with high blood pressure. This trial focuses on the immediate effects of beetroot extract supplementation to understand its impact on cardiovascular and metabolic responses during aerobic exercise. The study is important because hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease in this group, and dietary nitrate from beetroot might improve exercise tolerance and vascular health. Participants will take part in four sessions in a random order resting with placebo, resting with beetroot extract, exercising with placebo, and exercising with beetroot extract. Each beetroot dose includes about 314 mg of dietary nitrate in two capsules. The exercise sessions include a 7-minute warm-up and 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on a treadmill at 60-80 of their maximum heart rate. Rest sessions include sitting for 30 minutes while completing a food questionnaire. There is a minimum of two days between sessions to allow washout. During the study, participants blood pressure will be measured at rest, during, immediately after, and after recovery from the sessions. Muscle oxygen saturation will be continuously monitored during exercise, and markers of oxidative stress will be checked before and right after each session. The study tracks how these measures change with beetroot extract compared to placebo, providing detailed insight into its effects on exercise stress in hypertensive older women.

Effects of Beetroot Extract on Blood Pressure and Exercise in Hypertensive Older Women