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Beetroot juice: a natural boost against long COVID fatigue?

NCT ID NCT05618574

Symptom relief Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether a daily beetroot juice supplement, rich in nitrates, can reduce fatigue and improve walking ability in Veterans with Long COVID. Participants receive either the active juice or a placebo for 14 days, alongside physical therapy. The study measures changes in perceived exertion, walking efficiency, and functional tests before and after the intervention.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Nitrate-rich beetroot juice (Beet-It) taken daily for 14 days
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a simple dietary supplement to ease fatigue and improve physical function in people with Long COVID.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial, so results may not apply broadly. The supplement may not improve symptoms, and some people may experience low blood pressure or interactions with blood thinners.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

17 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2023

Finished

Feb 2025

Lead sponsor

A government agency

The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Veterans with prior COVID-19, with residual symptoms of long COVID including increased fatigability. * Inclusion limited to age 18 and over Exclusion Criteria: * Blood pressure \<110/60 mmHg, either systolic or diastolic value which may affect participant safety during assessments will be at the discretion of the study physician * Unable to hold warfarin, novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) or aspirin for 3 days prior to muscle biopsy, or to hold thienopyridine medications for 5 days prior to muscle biopsy * Current use of organic nitrates or phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors * Orthopedic or other chronic condition which limits physical activity or functional testing assessments * End-stage disease * Dementia or other reason unable to give informed consent * Anemia (hemoglobin \<11.0 g/dL in men or hemoglobin \<10.0 g/dL in women) * Unstable psychiatric diagnosis * Clinically significant alcohol intake or substance abuse * Chronic use of oral corticosteroids or medications that affect muscle function * Use of anti-bacterial mouthwash or antacids that confound the nitrate/nitrite/NO pathway. * Suicidal ideations * Unwilling to hold Viagra-like drugs (i.e. Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, other phosphodiesterase inhibitors) * Involved in another greater than minimal risk study * Other clinically unstable medical condition as determined by the study physician

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

long COVID-19

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Cardiorespiratory fitness Long COVID

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15240, United States

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