NutraIngredients reports Bio-gen Extracts' TruBeet ingredient won a 2026 sports nutrition award. We break down the dose-response nitrate data for athletes.
On September 2, 2026, Bio-gen Extracts’ beetroot ingredient TruBeet won Ingredient of the Year in Sports Nutrition at the NutraIngredients Asia Awards in Bangkok. The prestigious award program announced 17 winners across various product, ingredient, and specialty categories. TruBeet competed directly against Physta Tongkat Ali from Biotropics Malaysia and ViNitrox from Nexira to claim the highly contested top spot.
The recognition highlights a critical shift in how the sports nutrition industry approaches dietary nitrates for everyday active adults. Researchers are moving away from basic pre-workout formulas to thoroughly examine deeper cardiovascular markers like arterial stiffness and aortic systolic blood pressure. This notable award signals that the industry is finally paying rigorous attention to the intersection of athletic performance and healthy aging. For the veteran endurance athlete, this signals a maturation in how we evaluate endurance supplements.
The core finding from this advancing research is that nitrate supplementation does not follow a simple linear dose curve. A 2026 dose-response study published in Food & Function showed that different amounts of nitrate trigger completely different vascular responses in the body. Researchers found that arterial stiffness improved across three different tested doses without a clear statistical difference between them. However, endothelial function only improved at a very specific middle dose of 400 milligrams. Aortic systolic blood pressure only saw significant improvements at the highest tested 800-milligram dose.
This precise data proves that athletes cannot just take a massive dose of beetroot extract and expect a uniform benefit across every cardiovascular metric. A moderate dose might optimize how blood vessels successfully expand, while a much higher dose is strictly required to lower central aortic pressure. Bio-gen Extracts is explicitly linking these complex vascular mechanisms to long-term athletic output. Salman Mehkri, head of business development for the company, stated clearly, "We are driving cardiovascular health for exercise performance."
The research direction is also rapidly expanding to include demographic groups that are often ignored in acute sports science. The company plans to focus future clinical work on seniors, women, and people with pre-hypertension. This broad approach reflects a growing scientific understanding that age-related changes in natural nitric oxide efficiency make targeted supplementation highly relevant to older adults. Broader evidence on dietary nitrate currently remains mixed depending on the specific testing format used in the lab. Recent evidence summaries suggest that nitrate benefits may be more consistent in time-to-exhaustion tests than in standard time trials.
The pivotal 2026 Food & Function dose-response study used a randomized, double-blind crossover design to thoroughly test the TruBeet ingredient. Researchers meticulously evaluated three specific nitrate doses of 200 milligrams, 400 milligrams, and 800 milligrams. They measured complex vascular endpoints including flow-mediated dilation, central aortic systolic pressure, plasma nitrate, and plasma nitrite. The ingredient itself is heavily standardized to both nitrate and polyphenols for use in powder sachets and ready-to-drink fluid products.
A separate 2026 Food & Function study also carefully evaluated how TruBeet interacted with caffeine-heavy pre-workout products. The study reported that the supplementation successfully improved arterial stiffness and endothelial function after caffeine-related cardiovascular strain. To further advance this complex physiological work, the company is currently collaborating with Dr. Stephen Bailey, a programme director at Loughborough University, to deeply study endurance performance and cardiovascular health.
Another prior study published in Antioxidants in 2022 looked at physical performance outcomes in simulated endurance racing scenarios. It reportedly found significantly improved end-sprint performance in endurance events when TruBeet was taken before and during exercise. These compounding studies form the robust foundation of an emerging scientific consensus that optimal nitrate dosing requires precise and individualized calibration.
For the ambitious endurance athlete over 35, this ongoing research fundamentally changes how we must approach pre-race fueling. The traditional sports mindset treats beetroot juice as a blunt instrument for immediate race day energy. The new laboratory data shows it should be managed as a highly specific physiological tool for long-term vascular management. As we age, our natural physiological ability to produce nitric oxide steadily declines over time. Supplementing with standardized dietary nitrates can actively support blood flow and essential oxygen delivery, which directly impacts your ability to sustain long physical efforts.
If you want to intelligently use nitrates to support cardiovascular health for endurance athletes, you must rigorously dial in your dosage timing. A comprehensive review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine details exactly when these physiological benefits actually peak. The review describes acute performance benefits as generally occurring two to three hours after a 5 to 9 mmol nitrate bolus. This carefully equates to roughly 310 to 560 milligrams of dietary nitrate. You should comfortably consume your standardized dose well before you arrive at the morning starting line.
You must also sharply separate acute performance goals from long-term cardiovascular disease treatments. One specific meta-analysis found an average 5.31-mmHg reduction in clinical systolic blood pressure among hypertensive participants given 200 to 800 milligrams of nitrate from beetroot juice. The certainty of this collected evidence was cautiously rated low. Healthy masters athletes should not automatically assume these specific blood pressure reductions will directly translate to their own aging hearts. Always prioritize structured rest and deeply consult a qualified clinician before using sports supplements to manage any chronic health conditions.
Use extreme cardiovascular caution when mixing dietary nitrates with heavy stimulants on race day. The recent Food & Function study on caffeine-related cardiovascular strain is incredibly interesting, but it absolutely does not mean beetroot makes high caffeine intake universally safe. You should thoroughly test any supplement combination during long training sessions to correctly gauge your gastrointestinal tolerance and heart rate response. If you are deeply serious about endurance nutrition for healthy aging, treat your daily nitrate dose as a strict research variable rather than a fixed physiological rule.
The most highly effective protocol for older athletes involves testing standardized doses during long weekend endurance sessions. Because the studied benefits appear more prominent in time-to-exhaustion tests, focus your nutritional trials on your longest and most grueling aerobic workouts. Track exactly how your body responds to a 400-milligram dose compared to an 800-milligram dose. Record your daily perceived exertion, your late-stage physical power output, and your vital recovery metrics in the specific days that follow.
Beetroot supplementation offers highly specific vascular and endurance performance benefits when precisely dosed, but older athletes must carefully test these dosage variables in training rather than incorrectly assuming more dietary nitrate always yields better race results.
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