{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,10]],"date-time":"2026-10-10T18:08:15Z","timestamp":1791655695089,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]],"date-time":"2026-03-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773273600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Acute beetroot juice (BJ) nitrate supplementation may enhance agility and change of direction performance by increasing nitric oxide bioavailability and improving cognitive and skeletal muscle functions, thereby potentially attenuating post-sprint performance decrements. Methods: We investigated whether a single dose of BJ improves agility immediately after repeated maximal sprinting compared with a placebo (PL) in soccer players. Twenty-one male soccer players (competitive players: n = 8; recreational players: n = 13) completed a double-blind randomised crossover trial. Participants ingested 70 mL of BJ or PL; afterwards, they performed three sets of 6 \u00d7 20-m all-out sprints. Agility outcomes included simple response time (SRT), choice response time (CRT), and change-of-direction speed (CODS). Non-parametric analyses (Wilcoxon signed-rank test with effect size r) were applied. Results: Compared with PL, BJ improved CRT (BJ: 2.376 \u00b1 0.255; PL: 2.534 \u00b1 0.322; p &lt; 0.001; r = 0.74; Z = \u22125.881) and CODS (BJ: 13.046 \u00b1 1.512; PL: 13.651 \u00b1 1.811; p &lt; 0.001; r = 0.47; Z = \u22124.314). SRT was unchanged overall (BJ: 1.671 \u00b1 0.195; PL: 1.707 \u00b1 0.261; p = 0.185; r = 0.05; Z = \u22121.327). Conclusions: Under practical field-based conditions, acute BJ intake enhanced post-sprint agility and change-of-direction performance, particularly CRT and CODS.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18060897","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]],"date-time":"2026-03-12T14:46:31Z","timestamp":1773326791000},"page":"897","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Influence of Acute Beetroot Juice Intake on Agility Performance Immediately Post-Repeated Maximal Sprinting in Soccer Players"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-9216-0172","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xueheng","family":"Yang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate School of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-7374-1830","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Takehira","family":"Nakao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Human Science, Kyushu Sangyo University, 3-1 Matsukadai 2, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-8503, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Atsushi","family":"Saito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"534","DOI":"10.1123\/ijspp.6.4.534","article-title":"Validity of a reactive agility test for Australian football","volume":"6","author":"Henry","year":"2011","journal-title":"Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.1123\/jsep.35.2.144","article-title":"Perceptual-cognitive skills and their interaction as a function of task constraints in soccer","volume":"35","author":"Roca","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Sport Exerc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"147","article-title":"Effects of plyometric training on agility in male soccer players-a systematic review","volume":"18","author":"Spehnjak","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Men\u2019s Health"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"919","DOI":"10.1080\/02640410500457109","article-title":"Agility literature review: Classifications, training and testing","volume":"24","author":"Sheppard","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Sports Sci."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"725","DOI":"10.1519\/JSC.0b013e31822602db","article-title":"Relationship between muscular strength and sprints with changes of direction","volume":"26","author":"Carnero","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Strength Cond. Res."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1260\/1747-9541.10.1.159","article-title":"Agility and change-of-direction speed are independent skills: Implications for training for agility in invasion sports","volume":"10","author":"Young","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Sports Sci. Coach."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1095","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0034-1375695","article-title":"The evolution of physical and technical performance parameters in the English Premier League","volume":"35","author":"Barnes","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int. J. Sports Med."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Michailidis, Y. (2022). The effectiveness of different training methods in soccer for repeated sprint ability: A brief review. Appl. Sci., 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/app122211803"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"841","DOI":"10.1080\/02640414.2012.675083","article-title":"The influence of exercise-induced fatigue on cognitive function","volume":"30","author":"Moore","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Sports Sci."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bandc.2012.10.001","article-title":"Decline in executive control during acute bouts of exercise as a function of exercise intensity and fitness level","volume":"81","author":"Labelle","year":"2013","journal-title":"Brain Cogn."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.20463\/jenb.2017.0012","article-title":"Effects of acute high-intensity resistance exercise on cognitive function and oxygenation in prefrontal cortex","volume":"21","author":"Chang","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Exerc. Nutr. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9835","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-022-14146-5","article-title":"Cognitive fatigue due to exercise under normobaric hypoxia is related to hypoxemia during exercise","volume":"12","author":"Ochi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nakao, T., Hirata, T., Adachi, T., Fukuda, J., Fukada, T., Iino-Ohori, K., and Saito, A. (2026). Cognitive Processing Efficiency (Throughput) Improves with Aerobic Exercise and Is Independent of the Environmental Oxygenation Level: A Randomized Crossover Trial. Sports, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/sports14010030"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"R948","DOI":"10.1152\/ajpregu.00541.2007","article-title":"Inhibition of shortening velocity of skinned skeletal muscle fibers in conditions that mimic fatigue","volume":"294","author":"Karatzaferi","year":"2008","journal-title":"Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"148","DOI":"10.1080\/21641846.2013.765086","article-title":"Holistic approaches to understanding mechanisms of fatigue in high-intensity sport","volume":"1","author":"Cairns","year":"2013","journal-title":"Fatigue Biomed. Health Behav."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jiao, X., Liu, X., Cao, Q., and Deng, Z. (2025). Plant-based supplements in enhancing exercise performance and recovery. Front. Nutr., 12.","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2025.1699642"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"576","DOI":"10.1016\/S0891-5849(02)01353-9","article-title":"The effect of dietary nitrate on salivary, plasma, and urinary nitrate metabolism in humans","volume":"34","author":"Pannala","year":"2003","journal-title":"Free Radic. Biol. Med."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"228","DOI":"10.1111\/bph.14484","article-title":"Nitrite and nitrate chemical biology and signalling","volume":"176","author":"DeMartino","year":"2019","journal-title":"Br. J. Pharmacol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.1016\/j.niox.2010.10.002","article-title":"Acute effect of a high nitrate diet on brain perfusion in older adults","volume":"24","author":"Presley","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nitric Oxide"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"547","DOI":"10.1113\/jphysiol.2012.243121","article-title":"Impact of dietary nitrate supplementation via beetroot juice on exercising muscle vascular control in rats","volume":"591","author":"Ferguson","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Physiol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1016\/j.niox.2014.09.157","article-title":"Microvascular oxygen pressures in muscles comprised of different fiber types: Impact of dietary nitrate supplementation","volume":"48","author":"Ferguson","year":"2015","journal-title":"Nitric Oxide"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"149","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physbeh.2015.05.035","article-title":"Dietary nitrate modulates cerebral blood flow parameters and cognitive performance in humans: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover investigation","volume":"149","author":"Wightman","year":"2015","journal-title":"Physiol. Behav."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fan, J.L., Bourdillon, N., Meyer, P., and Kayser, B. (2018). Oral nitrate supplementation differentially modulates cerebral artery blood velocity and prefrontal tissue oxygenation during 15 km time-trial cycling in normoxia but not in hypoxia. Front. Physiol., 9.","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2018.00869"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3575","DOI":"10.1113\/jphysiol.2012.232777","article-title":"Dietary nitrate increases tetanic [Ca2+] i and contractile force in mouse fast-twitch muscle","volume":"590","author":"Schiffer","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Physiol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2234","DOI":"10.1249\/MSS.0000000000000351","article-title":"Nitrate supplementation enhances the contractile properties of human skeletal muscle","volume":"46","author":"Haider","year":"2014","journal-title":"Med. Sci. Sports Exerc."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"415","DOI":"10.1007\/s00421-015-3296-4","article-title":"Influence of beetroot juice supplementation on intermittent exercise performance","volume":"116","author":"Wylie","year":"2016","journal-title":"Eur. J. Appl. Physiol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2122","DOI":"10.1249\/MSS.0000000000001655","article-title":"Nitrate supplement benefits contractile forces in fatigued but not unfatigued muscle","volume":"50","author":"Tillin","year":"2018","journal-title":"Med. Sci. Sports Exerc."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"570","DOI":"10.3390\/oxygen2040037","article-title":"Effects of Acute Beetroot Juice Ingestion on Reactive Agility Performance","volume":"2","author":"Rogers","year":"2022","journal-title":"Oxygen"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"L\u00f3pez-Samanes, \u00c1., G\u00f3mez Parra, A., Moreno-P\u00e9rez, V., and Courel-Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez, J. (2020). Does acute beetroot juice supplementation improve neuromuscular performance and match activity in young basketball players? A randomized, placebo-controlled study. Nutrients, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu12010188"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Caldbeck, P., and Dos\u2019Santos, T. (2022). A classification of specific movement skills and patterns during sprinting in English Premier League soccer. PLoS ONE, 17.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0277326"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e70085","DOI":"10.1002\/ejsc.70085","article-title":"Sprints, decelerations and turns most commonly precede goals in soccer: Analysis of 6 FIFA World Cups","volume":"25","author":"Daly","year":"2025","journal-title":"Eur. J. Sport Sci."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"308","DOI":"10.1038\/nchembio1105-308","article-title":"The emerging biology of the nitrite anion","volume":"1","author":"Gladwin","year":"2005","journal-title":"Nat. Chem. Biol."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"683","DOI":"10.1002\/med.20151","article-title":"Nitrite as regulator of hypoxic signaling in mammalian physiology","volume":"29","author":"Bahrami","year":"2009","journal-title":"Med. Res. Rev."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"325","DOI":"10.1152\/japplphysiol.00372.2013","article-title":"Beetroot juice and exercise: Pharmacodynamic and dose-response relationships","volume":"115","author":"Wylie","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Appl. Physiol."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1191","DOI":"10.1519\/JSC.0b013e3181d1568c","article-title":"The development of a test of repeated-sprint ability for elite women\u2019s soccer players","volume":"24","author":"Gabbett","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Strength Cond. Res."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ishak, A., Wong, F.Y., Seurot, A., Cocking, S., and Pullinger, S.A. (2022). The influence of recovery period following a pre-load stimulus on physical performance measures in handball players. PLoS ONE, 17.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0249969"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"333","DOI":"10.1016\/j.niox.2008.08.003","article-title":"The increase in plasma nitrite after a dietary nitrate load is markedly attenuated by an antibacterial mouthwash","volume":"19","author":"Govoni","year":"2008","journal-title":"Nitric Oxide"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1139\/apnm-2015-0400","article-title":"Effect of acute nitrate supplementation on neurovascular coupling and cognitive performance in hypoxia","volume":"41","author":"Lefferts","year":"2016","journal-title":"Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"165","DOI":"10.3358\/shokueishi.46.165","article-title":"Nitrate and nitrite contents in vegetable juice, tea beverage and mineral water on the market","volume":"46","author":"Murata","year":"2005","journal-title":"Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi\/J. Food Hyg. Soc. Jpn."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"739","DOI":"10.1007\/s11332-024-01205-9","article-title":"Effects of antioxidant vitamin supplementation on sports performance, endurance and strength performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"20","author":"Dadalt","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sport Sci. Health"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1249\/00005768-198205000-00012","article-title":"Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion","volume":"14","author":"Borg","year":"1982","journal-title":"Med. Sci. Sports Exerc."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1929","DOI":"10.1519\/JSC.0000000000002553","article-title":"Are change-of-direction speed and reactive agility independent skills even when using the same movement pattern?","volume":"32","author":"Stodolka","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Strength Cond. Res."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1123\/ijspp.4.3.345","article-title":"Reliability and generality of measures of acceleration, planned agility, and reactive agility","volume":"4","author":"Oliver","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform."},{"key":"ref_44","first-page":"443","article-title":"Reliability and validity of the T-test as a measure of agility, leg power, and leg speed in college-aged men and women","volume":"14","author":"Pauole","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Strength Cond. Res."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"155","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.112.1.155","article-title":"A power primer","volume":"112","author":"Cohen","year":"1992","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13434","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1116633109","article-title":"Sialin (SLC17A5) functions as a nitrate transporter in the plasma membrane","volume":"109","author":"Qin","year":"2012","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hyde, E.R., Andrade, F., Vaksman, Z., Parthasarathy, K., Jiang, H., Parthasarathy, D.K., Ardissone, A., Moffitt, J.H., Petrosino, J.F., and Bryan, N.S. (2014). Metagenomic analysis of nitrate-reducing bacteria in the oral cavity: Implications for nitric oxide homeostasis. PLoS ONE, 9.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0088645"},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9265","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.84.24.9265","article-title":"Endothelium-derived relaxing factor produced and released from artery and vein is nitric oxide","volume":"84","author":"Lgnarro","year":"1987","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"784","DOI":"10.1161\/HYPERTENSIONAHA.107.103523","article-title":"Acute blood pressure lowering, vasoprotective, and antiplatelet properties of dietary nitrate via bioconversion to nitrite","volume":"51","author":"Webb","year":"2008","journal-title":"Hypertension"},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2063","DOI":"10.1080\/02640414.2020.1770409","article-title":"Acute ingestion of beetroot juice does not improve short-duration repeated sprint running performance in male team sport athletes","volume":"38","author":"Reynolds","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Sports Sci."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"292","DOI":"10.1123\/ijspp.2019-0137","article-title":"Session RPE during prolonged exercise training","volume":"15","author":"Fusco","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform."},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1825","DOI":"10.1007\/s00421-015-3166-0","article-title":"Dietary nitrate improves sprint performance and cognitive function during prolonged intermittent exercise","volume":"115","author":"Thompson","year":"2015","journal-title":"Eur. J. Appl. Physiol."}],"container-title":["Nutrients"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/18\/6\/897\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]],"date-time":"2026-03-12T15:04:30Z","timestamp":1773327870000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/18\/6\/897"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]]},"references-count":52,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]}},"alternative-id":["nu18060897"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nu18060897","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-6643"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-6643","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]]}}}