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    Can Beetroot Truly Help Athletes Perform Better?

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    Beetroot is gaining popularity as a performance booster for athletes and people looking for a competitive edge in running and cycling.

    Beetroot is gaining popularity as a performance booster for athletes and people looking for a competitive edge in running and cycling. Some people juice beets, others consume them, and yet others use the powdered form to make a drink. But will it make a difference in how fast we run a race or bike up a hill?

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    In 2020, a major systematic review comprised 80 clinical trials in which individuals were randomly allocated to ingest beetroot juice or not. It was discovered that athletes who consumed beetroot juice performed better.

    This may be a huge improvement in sports where every second or millimetre matters. The benefits associated with beetroot eating were comparable to 48 seconds in a 16.1-kilometre bicycle time trial.

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    Can beetroot truly help athletes perform better?

    However, when the scientists examined subgroups within these trials, they discovered that beetroot juice was ineffective for women or top athletes – but this might be due to a lack of research participants in these categories to make conclusions.

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    Another big systematic analysis of 73 papers on endurance athletes (those who run, swim, or bike great distances) published in 2021 showed similar conclusions. Supplementation with beetroot (and other nitrate-rich vegetables) reduced their time to fatigue by an average of 25.3 seconds and increased their distance travelled by 163 metres.

    This improvement was observed in recreational athletes but not in elite athletes or inactive individuals. This study did not focus on women explicitly.

    What’s the deal with beetroot?

    Nitrate and anthocyanins are abundant in beetroot. Both provide health advantages, but it is the nitrates that bring the performance benefits.

    Nitrate is transformed to nitrite in the mouth by local bacteria after it is consumed. The nitrite is subsequently converted to nitric oxide in the acidic environment of the stomach and absorbed into the circulation.

    Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels, allowing oxygen to reach the muscles more quickly, and allowing energy to be consumed to feed the exercising muscles.

    As a result of using less energy for performance, it takes longer to weary.

    How can I make use of beet juice?

    Beetroot has been evaluated by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and designated as a Group A supplement. This signifies that there is solid scientific proof for its application in certain sporting conditions.

    The AIS recommends beetroot supplementation for exercise, training, and competitive events lasting 4-30 minutes, as well as team sports with intermittent exertion.

    The AIS recommends that beetroot products (juice, powder, or meal) have 350-600mg of inorganic nitrate for performance advantages. Examine the label. On the market, there are various concentrated juices.

    Because beetroot contains around 250mg of nitrate per 100g, you must consume at least 200g of baked beetroot to have the same impact.

    Consume the product 2-3 hours before training or competition to allow the nitrates to be converted to nitric oxide and absorbed into your circulation. Drinking beetroot juice for many days before a workout or competition may provide additional advantages.

    However, avoid using antimicrobial goods such as mouthwashes, chewing gum, or lollipops. These will destroy the bacteria in your mouth that are necessary for the conversion of nitrate to nitrite.

    Are there any disadvantages?

    Your urine will appear crimson, making it harder to tell whether you are dehydrated. Your faeces might also turn crimson.

    Some people may get stomach distress after ingesting beetroot juice. So, consume it while training to see if you have any issues. 

    What about nitrate from your other foods?

    While it is impossible to take enough nitrate from vegetables to directly improve athletic performance before an event, eating five servings of veggies each day will help maintain nitric oxide levels in your blood.

    Celery, rocket, spinach, endive, leek, parsley, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, and celeriac are rich in nitrate. Because there isn’t clear data concerning the influence of cooking and storing on nitrate levels, it’s generally best to consume them any way you choose.

    However, cured meats with additional nitrates should be avoided. The addition is used to inhibit bacterial growth and to provide flavour and colour, however, the resultant sodium nitrite can raise the risk of cancer.

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