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Are you a runner, cyclist, walker or endurance guru who spends day after day training to reach your ultimate goal? If so, don’t beat your body – try putting beet into your body instead. That’s right –beets. Studies show that consuming beet juice will increase your body’s ability to perform cardiovascular exercise. In other words, you’ll be able to train or race longer and go harder.
A small study completed by the University of Exeter School of Sport and Health Sciences in August 2011 indicated that drinking just one glass of beetroot juice daily will reduce the amount of oxygen required to participate in cardiovascular exercise. After consuming either 500ml of organic beet juice or beet juice without nitrates for six days, test subjects needed about 12% less oxygen during a treadmill exercise test, and they were able to run 15% longer at faster speeds before reaching exhaustion.
Another study done in 2010 at the University of Exeter used a balanced crossover design with eight subjects over 15 days. Findings showed that by drinking beet juice, the subjects’ steady state VO2 (oxygen uptake) during moderate exercise was reduced by approximately 4% after 2.5 hours, and remained similarly reduced after five and 15 days.
According to the Journal of Applied Physiology, drinking beetroot juice reduces oxygen uptake even more than training alone due to its nitrate content. Its study showed a 16% increase in training duration and a boost in stamina while consuming 500ml of organic beetroot juice for six days. There was a decrease in the amount of oxygen used during moderate intensity exercise, as well as an increase in the time to exhaustion during high-intensity exercise. The time to complete a cycle test was 92 seconds slower in the group consuming a placebo rather than the beet juice –a whopping 2% reduction just by consuming beetroot juice.
The nitrates found in beets are the secret to their success, and studies prove it. These nitrates get converted into nitrites in our bodies that help dilate blood vessels, increase blood flow and help decrease the amount of oxygen that your muscles need when working out. All of this also means you require less oxygen when exercising. Talk about a cardiovascular support drink!
On top of these benefits, beets are full of powerful antioxidants that help to reduce the amount of free radicals in the body created by exercise. So not only can they help you train longer – they can help you recover quicker, too.
But don’t think that only the advanced athlete can benefit from this beautiful vegetable. The same benefits will help adults of all ages. Just imagine giving a grandfather or grandmother the heart health and fitness to walk through a grocery store, or play outside with their grandchildren. It’s all related to improving your cardiovascular endurance.
Supplementing nitrites or nitrates can potentially be very toxic to the body – as toxic as eating arsenic. Rather than taking a supplement, stick to the whole food form or juice and you’ll reap all of beetroot’s benefits. If you’re trying to cut calories for fear of gaining weight, then now is the time for you to check out the nutritional facts of this superfood.
Just one beet (2” in diameter) contains about 35 calories and 2.3g of dietary fiber. It has virtually no fat and is a medium glycemic food. That means it’s great to consume before exercise as it’ll help with glycogen levels as well. The fiber found in beetroot is insoluble, so it helps to keep blood sugar steady. Also stored in this whole food are many vitamins such as folic acid and vitamin C, as well as vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Additionally, it’s a good source of minerals – especially calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium, along with others in smaller amounts. To top it all off, it’s full of betaine, a digestive enzyme that will aid in your digestion.
Though the thought of consuming beet juice and reaching new levels of fitness and endurance sound wonderful, keep in mind that getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet are also essential to your success. Still, enjoy a glass of beet juice daily as a part of your healthy balanced diet and you’ll be sure to come out a winner.
Beetroot juice is very potent and strong tasting. When you drink the raw juice, make sure to dilute it with milder juices such as carrot, cucumber or celery. Keep in mind, beets can also be very bitter. To adjust the taste, try adding apples or other organic fruits for sweetness.
For great beet juice recipes, visit:Juicingcafe.com
Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of walking and running: a placebo-controlled study.Lansley, K. E. et al., Journal of Applied Physiology 2011 Mar; 110 (3):591-600.
USDA nutritional Database: “Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low-intensity exercise and enhances tolerance to high-intensity exercise in humans,”Stephen J Baily, Andrew M Jones, et al., Journal of Applied Physiology 2009 Aug.
Acute and chronic effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on blood pressure and the physiological responses to moderate-intensity and incremental exercise. Vanhatalo, A et al., Journal of Applied Physiology 2010 Oct: 299 (4) R1121-31.
