Dietary nitrate supplementation improves exercise performance and decreases blood pressure in COPD patients

•Dietary nitrate consumption increases plasma nitrate and nitrite levels in chronic obstructive disease (COPD) patients.•Dietary nitrate consumption increases submaximal exercise capacity in COPD patients.•Dietary nitrate consumption decreases resting systolic blood pressure in COPD patients.•Dietary nitrate consumption decreases exercise diastolic blood pressure in COPD patients.

Dietary nitrate (NO3−) supplementation via beetroot juice has been shown to increase the exercise capacity of younger and older adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acute NO3− ingestion on the submaximal constant work rate exercise capacity of COPD patients. Fifteen patients were assigned in a randomized, single-blind, crossover design to receive one of two treatments (beetroot juice then placebo or placebo then beetroot juice). Submaximal constant work rate exercise time at 75% of the patient's maximal work capacity was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included plasma NO3− and nitrite (NO2−) levels, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen consumption (VO2), dynamic hyperinflation, dyspnea and leg discomfort. Relative to placebo, beetroot ingestion increased plasma NO3− by 938% and NO2− by 379%. Median (+interquartile range) exercise time was significantly longer (p = 0.031) following the ingestion of beetroot versus placebo (375.0 + 257.0 vs. 346.2 + 148.0 s, respectively). Compared with placebo, beetroot ingestion significantly reduced iso-time (p = 0.001) and end exercise (p = 0.008) diastolic blood pressures by 6.4 and 5.6 mmHg, respectively. Resting systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced (p = 0.019) by 8.2 mmHg for the beetroot versus the placebo trial. No other variables were significantly different between the beetroot and placebo trials. These results indicate that acute dietary NO3− supplementation can elevate plasma NO3− and NO2− concentrations, improve exercise performance, and reduce blood pressure in COPD patients.