Despite having high dietary nitrates, what contradictory finding was observed in a small study when healthy individuals consumed 100 grams of watercress daily for a week regarding exercise physiology?

The study observed an increase in carbon dioxide production during exercise.

While the presence of dietary nitrates in watercress suggests potential benefits for physical exertion by helping to reduce the oxygen muscles require during activity, specific research on watercress yielded a nuanced, even contradictory, result. In one small study involving healthy individuals who consumed 100 grams of watercress daily for a period of one week, the physiological response during exercise was monitored. Contrary to the expected performance enhancement often associated with nitrates (like those seen in beets), this study actually observed an increase in carbon dioxide production during the activity. This finding implies that conclusive evidence confirming that watercress itself directly improves athletic performance is currently lacking. Consequently, the text suggests a practical approach: consuming watercress for its established chronic vascular benefits, such as blood pressure support, rather than using it as a guaranteed pre-workout supplement.