Nitrate and Exercise-induced Cardiac Troponin T in Type 2 Diabetes

Blood cardiac troponin T (cTnT) concentration is a widely used marker of acute cardiac injury. Previous research has shown that type 2 diabetic patients may experience large increments in cTnT levels over the subsequent hours following a single bout of moderate-intensity endurance-type exercise. This phenomenon is likely attributed to cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury caused by reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Recent evidence indicates that ingestion of dietary nitrates dramatically increases the bioavailability of NO, and as such, may be protective against cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury. The investigators hypothesize that dietary nitrate supplementation blunts the rise in cTnT levels following exercise in type 2 diabetic patients.