Exercise Fatiguability in Older Adults: The Protective Effects of Dietary Nitrate Supplementation

Vascular and skeletal muscle function decline with age and are associated with decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Dietary nitrate supplementation in the form of beet root juice increases NO bioavailability and improves exercise tolerance in younger adults, yet its effects on fatigability in older adults are largely unknown. The proposed research will investigate the impact of increased NO bioavailability on vascular function, skeletal muscle bioenergetics, and fatigability in older (≥65 yrs) men and women.