1. Introduction
swelling, muscle soreness, EIMD, muscle damage, pain, muscle pain, Muscle Soreness
Background: Beetroot juice (BRJ) contains various bioactive compounds suggested to be effective in improving athlete recovery. However, the number of studies evaluating the effects of BRJ on recovery and muscle soreness (MS) indicators in female athletes is limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effects of BRJ consumption on the performance recovery indicators and MS after exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) in female volleyball players. Methods: Twelve young female volleyball players were evaluated in this study. We utilized a randomized, cross-over, and double-blind design during two phases with a 30-day interval (wash-out). During each phase, EIMD was performed first, followed by BRJ or placebo (PLA) supplementation for two days (eight servings of 50 mL). Recovery monitoring of performance indicators and MS was performed after EIMD. The results of wall-sit, V sit and reach (VSFT), vertical jump height (VJH), pressure pain threshold (PPT), and thigh swelling (Sw-T) tests were recorded 48 h after EIMD. Also, the Perceived Muscle Soreness was recorded using the visual analog scale (VAS) 12 (MS-12 h), 24 (MS-24 h), and 48 (MS-48 h) hours after EIMD. Results: The data were analyzed using two-way repeated measures of ANOVA at Volleyball is one of the world’s most popular sports, requiring high physical abilities at professional levels [One effective strategy for athlete recovery that has attracted the attention of many researchers is the short-term use of nutritional supplements [Concerning sports performance, studies have shown that BRJ supplementation can improve endurance performance, increase muscle blood flow [In addition to these ergogenic effects, BRJ supplementation seems useful in performance recovery and reduction in muscle pain [Therefore, considering the contradictory and limited evidence about the effect of BRJ on performance recovery and muscle soreness symptoms [