The Effect of Acute Beetroot Juice and CaffeineSupplementation on Specific Judo Performance During aSimulated Competition Day in Judo Athletes

Karabağ S, Sajedi H, Güler O, Alaeddinoğlu V, Çakır E, Khodadadi D, Akpınar S. The Effect of Acute Beetroot Juice and Caffeine Supplementation on Specific Judo Performance During a Simulated Competition Day in Judo Athletes. Eur J Sport Sci. 2026 Nov;26(11):e70278.

ABSTRACT

Beetroot juice (BJ) and caffeine (CAF) are well‐established ergogenic aids for exercise performance. However, little is knownabout their efficacy and interaction within the specific context of a judo competition day. This study investigated the acuteeffects of BJ, CAF, and their combination (BJCAF) on judo‐specific performance across a simulated competition day. Using arandomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled crossover design, 35 competitive judo athletes (age 23 ± 5 years; body mass74 ± 13 kg) completed 4 sessions (BJ, CAF, BJCAF, and placebo), each consisting of 5 trials of judo randori and a Special JudoFitness Test (SJFT), followed by neuromuscular and cognitive assessments. Compared with placebo, CAF enhanced SJFTperformance, neuromuscular function, and cognition in trials 1–3 but not in trial 5 (p < 0.05). Conversely, BJ improved thesesame metrics in trial 5 (p < 0.05). BJCAF enhanced SJFT performance across trials 1–3 and 5, cognitive functions in trials 1, 2,and 4, and neuromuscular performance in all trials (p < 0.05). Importantly, in trial 5, both BJ and BJCAF conditions yieldedimproved SJFT performance, neuromuscular function, and cognitive outcomes compared to CAF alone (p < 0.05). The resultsdemonstrate that the ergogenic effect of CAF was not maintained throughout the simulated competition day, whereas BJprovided late‐stage benefits. Co‐ingestion effectively counteracted the later‐session decline observed with CAF alone whilemaintaining its early advantages. This highlights the importance of considering temporal dynamics and metabolic costs whendesigning nutritional strategies for multi‐bout, high‐intensity sports tournaments such as judo.

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