ReviewNutrients2026
Betaine Contribution to Performance Enhancement in Sport.
Review in Nutrients, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Betaine is a compound with significant implications in exercise biology due to its ability to optimize metabolic homeostasis and exercise capacity. This narrative review analyzes the physiological and biochemical mechanisms by which betaine influences neuromuscular performance and regulates post-exercise recovery processes. From an ergogenic perspective, betaine acts as an organic osmolyte and a methyl group donor in the methionine resynthesis cycle, a process directly associated with improving muscle strength and anaerobic power. Its anti-inflammatory properties are mediated by suppressing the nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) proinflammatory axis and IL-1β activity, thereby attenuating exercise-induced muscle damage. Metabolically, the compound exerts anti-adipogenic effects by downregulating key enzymes involved in lipogenesis and stimulating fatty acid β-oxidation, which favors the optimization of body composition. Furthermore, its vasodilatory action is primarily attributed to the potentiation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway, ensuring optimal perfusion and nutrient delivery to working muscles. At the central level, the neuroprotective effect consists of counteracting neuronal oxidative stress, clearing homocysteine and attenuating antidepressant behavior. These data reveal that betaine is a complex plurivalent ergogenic agent. Its integration into sports nutrition optimizes the adaptive physiological response to exercise through integrated cellular, vascular and metabolic mechanisms, representing a viable strategy for the overall improvement of athletic performance.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.