HAVE YOU EVER wanted a legal performance enhancing supplement? Well we have just the thing for you. Nitrate (also known as beetroot juice) is the new phenomenon of a drink that’s taking the endurance sport world by storm.
Beetroot juice. That tart purple tripe in the jar with the blue lid at the back of the fridge. Who would have guessed a vegetable so universally despised for so long could have such incredible performance enhancing properties?
First, a little science. Beetroot is high in dietary nitrate and our bodies convert nitrates into nitric oxide, a gas that causes blood vessels to relax and widen, by a process known as vasodilation.
This allows more oxygen-rich blood to flow through the body—and the more oxygen reaches the muscles, the longer they’re able to perform at high intensity. Athletes have tried to trigger vasodilation with various banned substances for years but they need not have looked any further than the vegetable garden.
The drink really only emerged in the aftermath of the 2012 London Olympics when Mo Farah – a big fan of the stuff – stormed to 5k and 10k glory. Farah was seen guzzling it prior to his races and while he was arguably the pre-race favourite for both events anyway, his medal haul warranted further study.
And as recent publication for the Journal of Applied Physiology confirmed what Farah obviously knew.
That particular study found that a single beet eaten 75 minutes before racing helped athletes run the final mile of a race five per cent faster — a staggering difference.
Another publication examined the effect of beetroot on cyclists and found that those on the mix were able ride at a set intensity between 12 to 14 percent longer than those who went without the drink.
Prior research shows that cyclists who drank half a litre of the juice for six days clocked in 45 seconds faster over a 10-mile course, a huge gain in a sport where the difference between winning and losing is often just a tire’s width.
Are you convinced? If you are, try this. Put 120g of beetroot, 200g of cubed pineapple, 120ml of fresh-squeezed orange juice, one teaspoon of grated ginger, and two cups of crushed ice into a blender and mix for one to two minutes. Enjoy!
Looking for a natural fitness supplement? We have just the thing
HAVE YOU EVER wanted a legal performance enhancing supplement? Well we have just the thing for you. Nitrate (also known as beetroot juice) is the new phenomenon of a drink that’s taking the endurance sport world by storm.
Beetroot juice. That tart purple tripe in the jar with the blue lid at the back of the fridge. Who would have guessed a vegetable so universally despised for so long could have such incredible performance enhancing properties?
First, a little science. Beetroot is high in dietary nitrate and our bodies convert nitrates into nitric oxide, a gas that causes blood vessels to relax and widen, by a process known as vasodilation.
This allows more oxygen-rich blood to flow through the body—and the more oxygen reaches the muscles, the longer they’re able to perform at high intensity. Athletes have tried to trigger vasodilation with various banned substances for years but they need not have looked any further than the vegetable garden.
The drink really only emerged in the aftermath of the 2012 London Olympics when Mo Farah – a big fan of the stuff – stormed to 5k and 10k glory. Farah was seen guzzling it prior to his races and while he was arguably the pre-race favourite for both events anyway, his medal haul warranted further study.
And as recent publication for the Journal of Applied Physiology confirmed what Farah obviously knew.
That particular study found that a single beet eaten 75 minutes before racing helped athletes run the final mile of a race five per cent faster — a staggering difference.
Another publication examined the effect of beetroot on cyclists and found that those on the mix were able ride at a set intensity between 12 to 14 percent longer than those who went without the drink.
Prior research shows that cyclists who drank half a litre of the juice for six days clocked in 45 seconds faster over a 10-mile course, a huge gain in a sport where the difference between winning and losing is often just a tire’s width.
Are you convinced? If you are, try this. Put 120g of beetroot, 200g of cubed pineapple, 120ml of fresh-squeezed orange juice, one teaspoon of grated ginger, and two cups of crushed ice into a blender and mix for one to two minutes. Enjoy!
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