Benefits
Nitric oxide production and vasodilation
Nitratene® provides dietary nitrate that is reduced to nitrite by oral bacteria and further to NO in hypoxic vascular and muscle tissue — producing sustained vasodilation, improved blood flow, and enhanced oxygen delivery to working muscle. The beet root-derived nitrate operates through the same well-validated dietary nitrate-NO pathway as beetroot juice in the extensive Exeter University nitrate/performance research.
Exercise performance and oxygen efficiency
The extensive beet root nitrate/exercise performance literature (50+ RCTs) confirms dietary nitrate from beet sources reduces the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise (by 1–5%), improves time trial performance, extends time to exhaustion, and supports power output — particularly in endurance and team sport applications where sustained oxygen efficiency is critical.
Blood pressure reduction
Meta-analyses confirm inorganic dietary nitrate (beet root, leafy vegetables) reduces systolic blood pressure by 2–5 mmHg on average — a clinically meaningful effect comparable to modest antihypertensive medication, achieved through endothelial NO-mediated vasodilation.
Mechanism of action
Enterosalivary nitrate-nitrite-NO cycle
Dietary nitrate from Nitratene® is absorbed in the small intestine and actively secreted into saliva at 10× plasma concentration by salivary glands. Oral commensal bacteria (Veillonella, Actinomyces) reduce salivary nitrate to nitrite via bacterial nitrate reductase enzymes — a process eliminated by antibacterial mouthwash or antibiotic use. Swallowed nitrite is absorbed and transported to tissues where hypoxic conditions (exercising muscle, vascular walls) trigger non-enzymatic reduction to NO by deoxyhemoglobin, xanthine oxidoreductase, and other reductases. Peak blood nitrite levels occur 2–3 hours after ingestion.
Clinical trials
Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials examining beet root/dietary nitrate effects on exercise performance, blood pressure, oxygen cost. (Hoon et al. 2013, J Appl Physiol; or McMahon et al. 2017)
Pooled across nitrate exercise RCTs.
Dietary nitrate (~6-13 mmol/day, ~400-800 mg sodium nitrate equivalent) reduced oxygen cost of exercise (~5%), improved time trial performance, and modestly reduced blood pressure (~3-4 mmHg systolic). Effect sizes meaningful for endurance athletes. Note: Nitratene® specifically — limited published peer-reviewed trials of this branded form vs the broader beet root literature.