There are many trendy and potentially unusual products that can improve your performance in sports. But the latest food to come under scrutiny for its fitness benefits is one that's definitely worth your attention: beets. If you don't know what juice to drink before training, then now you will find out why beet juice is what you need.
ContentWhich juice to drink before training: beet juice speeds up recoveryWhich athletes will benefit from beet juice? How to use beets to improve physical fitness
Research on these root vegetables has been ongoing for some time. But recently, their benefits as sports nutrition have made a splash in the fitness world, as WomanEL found.
What juice to drink before training: beet juice speeds up recovery
Most studies point to the productivity benefits of beets. For example, a 2012 article found that six days of drinking 140 ml of beet juice reduced oxygen consumption and improved performance in a 10 km time trial.
The reason is the effect of nitrates contained in beets on blood pressure. Nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert told Strong Women that nitrate can “help dilate blood vessels and regulate blood pressure so more nutrients and oxygen can reach muscles during exercise.”
Sports nutritionist Micari Scipioni explains: “After consumption, nitrate is converted into nitric oxide (NO) in the body. Research has shown that NO increases blood flow, improves aerobic capacity, and enhances muscle contraction. It also reduces the energy expenditure of exercise. This means you can train longer and/or at higher intensity before feeling fatigued. In fact, the nitrate found in beets is considered one of five recognized sports nutrition supplements that consistently improve athletic performance (others include creatine, beta-alanine, bicarbonate, and caffeine). So it's no surprise that people are now looking at beets as a sports nutrition tool.”
Which athletes will benefit from beet juice the most?
Most of the benefits come from cardio, including short workouts like HIIT and endurance exercises like long-distance running. “Some evidence suggests that nitrates may be beneficial during strength training, but more research is needed,” Scipioni says.
“Beets are also thought to be effective for team sports athletes as they may have beneficial effects on cognitive function. A 2015 study found that team sports athletes who took nitrates for seven days had a much faster response. Which is helpful since long-term, high-intensity exercise can have a negative impact on reaction time and performance.”
How to use beets to improve your physical fitness
Regular beets improve the performance of athletes, Source: freepik.com
Although there are other dietary sources of nitrates (such as broccoli), it is believed that beets contain the largest amount of all vegetables. 250 mg of this compound per 100 gram serving. However, “you will also need to eat a lot of beets to get enough nitrates to boost your performance by about 250-300 g. It is usually more convenient to consume a more concentrated dose, such as beet juice.
The timing of nitrate intake is also better. important. Nitrate levels peak in the blood two to three hours after consumption, and performance improvements are observed 150 minutes after consumption. It's also best to drink the juice daily for two to six days if you're using it to improve your performance at a specific fitness event (marathon, etc.).
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