JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

Article

Impact of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Physiological Variables of Individuals Exposed to High Altitude
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Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences

DOI: 10.58739/jcbs/v15i2.24.188

Year: 2025, Volume: 15, Issue: 2, Pages: 104-111

Original Article

Impact of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Physiological Variables of Individuals Exposed to High Altitude

Dohare Karishma1, Bose Subhasis1, Kumar Rohit1, Chand Fakir1, Singh Divya1, Vats Praveen1∗

1Applied Physiology Group, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), DRDO, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, 110054, Delhi, India

*Corresponding Author
Email: [email protected]

Received Date:22 October 2024, Accepted Date:01 April 2025, Published Date:11 July 2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Background and Objective: High altitude (HA) environment is challenging for lowlanders ascending to mountains for diverse reasons and poses multiple physiological and metabolic changes to acclimatize. There are several different strategies that can be employed for effective HA acclimatization such as gradual ascent, nutritional approach, medicines, or supplemental oxygen. Beetroot is a rich source of dietary nitrate, antioxidants, minerals and emerged as a potential ergogenic aid to improve oxygen delivery and vascular function. This study aimed to investigate the effect of beetroot juice (BRJ) supplementation on individuals exposed to the HA environment. Methods: In this study total of 92 individuals were accessed, which were grouped as Control (n=40) and BRJ supplemented (n=52). Anthropometric and physiological measurements were recorded, and blood samples were collected at sea level (SL, 122m) and HA (3300m). Key measures included systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), heart rate (HR), and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), hemoglobin (Hb). Results: BRJ supplementation significantly (p > 0.05) improved SBP, DBP, HR, and SpO2 at HA as compared to the Control group. Additionally, BRJ was associated with an increase in Hb (p<0.5) levels, indicating enhanced oxygen-carrying capacity. Conclusion: BRJ supplementation demonstrated a positive impact on key physiological variables, such as blood pressure regulation, heart rate stabilization, and oxygen saturation at HA. The observed improvements in Hb levels suggest that BRJ may facilitate better oxygen utilization and improved acclimatization at HA, positioning it as a promising nutritional intervention for individuals exposed to hypobaric hypoxia.

Keywords: Beetroot, High altitude, Hypoxia, Acute mountain sickness, Blood pressure

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Copyright

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Published By Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education, Kolar, Karnataka

  • 12 July 2025

Year: 2025, Volume: 15, Issue: 2

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