Most pre-workout supplements rely on stimulants. Caffeine, synthetic blends, and high-dose energy compounds that spike your nervous system and leave you crashing hours later.
There's a different approach. Beetroot works through a non-stimulant pathway. It improves blood flow and oxygen efficiency without affecting sleep, without tolerance build-up, and without the crash.
This is what the research shows — and why experts like Dr. Andy Galpin recommend it.
In This Guide
- How Beetroot Works
- The Nitric Oxide Pathway
- Why Non-Stimulant Matters
- What the Research Shows
- How to Use Beetroot for Performance
- Summary
- Sources
How Beetroot Works
Beetroot is rich in dietary nitrate. When you consume it, oral bacteria on your tongue convert nitrate to nitrite. Nitrite enters the bloodstream and is reduced to nitric oxide (NO).
Nitric oxide is a signaling molecule. It relaxes the smooth muscle in your blood vessel walls. Your vessels widen. More oxygen-rich blood reaches working muscles.
The result: your muscles use less oxygen to produce the same power. This is improved oxygen efficiency. It's a metabolic effect, not a stimulant one.
The Nitric Oxide Pathway
Nitric oxide performs three functions that matter for performance:
1. Vasodilation. NO signals blood vessels to relax and widen. This increases blood flow and nutrient delivery to working muscles.
2. Oxygen efficiency. With improved blood flow, muscles use oxygen more effectively. You maintain a higher intensity for longer. Fatigue is delayed.
3. Muscle contraction support. NO supports more efficient muscle contractions, contributing to greater power output.
Dr. Andy Galpin has highlighted beetroot specifically for these effects. In a Huberman Lab guest series, he recommended beetroot and citrulline as non-stimulant alternatives for endurance, noting they "aid in nutrient transport and endurance without affecting sleep".
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Why Non-Stimulant Matters
Stimulants like caffeine impact the nervous system directly. Beetroot offers a different, more foundational benefit: it improves the body's oxygen delivery system.
No crash. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors and masks fatigue. When it wears off, the backlog hits at once. Beetroot doesn't mask fatigue. It improves the underlying physiology.
No sleep disruption. Caffeine reduces deep sleep quality. Research confirms it "typically prolonged sleep latency, reduced total sleep time and sleep efficiency, and worsened perceived sleep quality" (Clark & Landolt, 2017). Beetroot has no negative impact on sleep. This makes it suitable for evening workouts.
No tolerance build-up. Caffeine tolerance develops quickly. Beetroot does not develop tolerance. The same dose produces the same effect.
Dr. Galpin has noted that beetroot is particularly useful "when we have high fatigue, high motivation issues… We don't want to go to caffeine, we don't want to go to other stimulants like that, so we'll simply use it as like an afternoon pick-me-up".
What the Research Shows
Oxygen efficiency. Bailey et al. (2009) found that dietary nitrate reduced the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise by up to 5% and extended time-to-exhaustion. Peak plasma nitrite occurs 2–3 hours post-ingestion.
Recovery. Beetroot contains betalains — antioxidant pigments unique to beetroot. A 2026 study on a betalain-rich concentrate found reduced muscle damage and enhanced recovery from exercise.
Blood pressure. Webb et al. (2008) found that beetroot juice reduced systolic blood pressure within 3 hours, with effects lasting up to 24 hours.
Cerebral blood flow. Presley et al. (2011) found that a high nitrate diet increased regional cerebral blood flow in the frontal lobe white matter.
Dr. Andrew Huberman has stated that beetroot juice is "one of the few supplements that can significantly raise nitric oxide levels, benefiting endurance athletes".
How to Use Beetroot for Performance
Standard training dose: 1 tablespoon mixed with water. Take 2–3 hours before your session.
Race day: 2–3 tablespoons, 2.5–3 hours before start.
Loading phase: 1–2 tablespoons daily for 5–7 days before a key event.
Recovery: 1 tablespoon within 30–60 minutes post-session.
The one critical rule: Avoid antibacterial mouthwash for at least 2 hours after taking beetroot. The oral bacteria required to convert nitrate to nitrite are essential. Kill them and you lose the performance benefit.
Summary
| Question | Answer |
| Is beetroot a stimulant? | No. It works through the nitric oxide pathway. |
| Does it cause a crash? | No. It doesn't mask fatigue; it improves oxygen efficiency. |
| Does it affect sleep? | No. Unlike caffeine, it has no negative impact on sleep. |
| How long until it works? | Peak effect occurs 2–3 hours after consumption. |
| Is it backed by research? | Yes. 180+ studies, IOC Level A evidence. |
| What do experts say? | Dr. Galpin recommends it as a non-stimulant endurance aid. Dr. Huberman highlights its nitric oxide benefits. |
This article is part of the Stamox Performance series.
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Sources
All studies referenced in this guide are publicly available on PubMed. We only cite peer-reviewed, published research.
Clark, I., & Landolt, H.P. (2017). Coffee, caffeine, and sleep: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 31, 70-78. View on PubMed →
Bailey, S.J., et al. (2009). Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O₂ cost of low-intensity exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 107(4), 1144-1155. View on PubMed →
Webb, A.J., et al. (2008). Acute blood pressure lowering, vasoprotective, and antiplatelet properties of dietary nitrate. Hypertension, 51(3), 784-790. View on PubMed →
Presley, T.D., et al. (2011). Acute effect of a high nitrate diet on brain perfusion in older adults. Nitric Oxide, 24(1), 34-42. View on PubMed →
DomÃnguez, R., et al. (2017). Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Cardiorespiratory Endurance in Athletes. Nutrients, 9(1), 43. View on PubMed →
How We Source Our Information
Every claim on this blog is backed by peer-reviewed research and Stamox R&D data. We cite studies from PubMed, the International Olympic Committee's consensus statements, and the Australian Institute of Sport's supplement framework.
This article was last reviewed on August 2026.
