Beet Juice For Runners’ Endurance

Active people and sportspeople are starting to consume more nutrient-rich meals in order to boost their athletic ability. Eating lots of vegetables such as beets has been shown to have a profound influence on the body while exercising.

Beetroot juice has become quite popular among athletes as an ergogenic aid. What makes the beet such an athletic nutritional powerhouse?

Nutrient Powerhouse

Beetroot (beta vulgaris) is consumed not only as a food, but also for its medicinal properties, and even as a supplement to increase physical performance. Although numerous kinds of the heart-shaped vegetable exist, the red beetroot is the most prevalent among those who are concerned about their health.

Beets contain an abundance of antioxidants, including vitamin C, carotenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and nitrates. Nitrate can be found in some edibles, and when ingested it changes into nitric oxide.

Studies indicate that nitric oxide can broaden blood vessel diameter, augment respiratory capacity, and augment muscle contraction. Athletes have been encouraged to consume beet juice to help increase their physical endurance and performance levels due to this mixture.

Athletic Performance

Cardiorespiratory fitness is a must for both athletes and those who stay physically active. This part of physical fitness is about the strength of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels to get oxygen to the muscles when doing an activity for a long period of time.

Nitric oxide (NO) from beet juice helps this process. Studies have demonstrated a rise in cardiorespiratory efficiency and the bolstered functioning of muscles.

Nitric oxide has an effect on how oxygen is used in the body by activating certain activities. The vasodilation that occurs with this process enlarges your blood vessels, enabling a heightened flow of blood to the muscles, thus providing extra oxygen to those areas.

Nitric oxide acts as a messenger, sending messages to your cells and body tissues. This message guarantees increased circulation to the muscle and sufficient oxygen consumption inside the muscle.

Positive Research Findings

Research has been done on athletes of multiple kinds of sports, including jogging, swimming, biking, and power walking, using beetroot juice as the experimental substance. The purpose of all studies was to investigate how beetroot juice could enhance athletic performance.

A research paper was released regarding the use of beetroot juice to enhance the aerobic capacity in fourteen male swimmers. The people taking part in the study were experienced athletes ranging from mid to late thirties who were in excellent physical condition.

Tests of swimming ability were performed with and without the use of beetroot juice. The swimmers were monitored throughout the test to measure their maximum oxygen capacity (VO2) and the energy expenditure demanded by their aerobic activity.

The swimmers demonstrated a marked improvement in their anaerobic threshold after taking beet juice compared to the results of not having taken it. The consumption of beet juice enabled them to have a higher oxygen capacity, which resulted in their ability to remain in the water for a longer time before their stamina was exhausted.

The athletes were revealed to require less aerobic energy expenditure after drinking beet juice. The decreased expense of energy allowed the swimmers to continue exercises for a longer duration.

Research suggests that drinking beetroot juice may improve the sports performance of experienced swimmers, though it remains to be seen if it would be beneficial for highly trained swimmers. Further research is needed to confirm this.

High Altitude

A lot of research indicates that consuming beet juice can be beneficial for boosting sports performance. Much of this study has been conducted in ordinary environmental settings. It seems as though there are mixed results on whether beet juice is useful to athletes competing at high altitudes.

Exercising in elevated areas imposes extra requirements on the body, especially the lack of oxygen being sent to active muscles. The major cause for the decline in oxygen levels is the decrease in oxygen levels at higher altitudes.

The alteration in altitude could possibly influence the impact of nitric oxide (NO) in beet juice on the body.

A different medical study hinted there is a small part of the population that doesn’t notice a profit from taking beet juice while exercising at a great altitude. The goal of taking it is to improve athletic ability, but this may not be applicable to all athletes.

Endurance

A review of numerous studies on the impact of beetroot juice on cardiorespiratory endurance in athletes was done in a structured manner. More than twenty articles were selected to be studied.

An analysis was done to see the outcome of consuming beetroot juice by itself and in conjunction with other supplements on cardiovascular and respiratory strength in athletes.

The content of the articles encompassed a variety of sports and featured both male and female players. Among the sportspersons listed were whitewater kayakers, competitors in a triathlon race, bike racers, swimmers, joggers, and physically fit individuals. Results from these studies and are summarized below:

• Beetroot juice supplementation appears to enhance aerobic performance in both trained male and female athletes. The volume of oxygen utilized at varying intensities was greatly improved after beet juice consumption.
• Kayakers supplementing with beet juice before competition showed improved oxygen capacity compared to a placebo group.
• Trained swimmers exhibited greater exercise capacity and improved endurance after beet juice consumption while energy expenditure decreased.
• Competitive cyclists who supplemented with beetroot juice improved their performance by 0.8 percent in a 50-mile test. Significant improvements were observed during the last 10 miles. Both oxygen efficiency and time to exhaustion were greatly improved after beet juice consumption.
• All athletes were able to maintain exercise intensities from 60 to 80 percent significantly longer during exercise with beet juice supplementation.
• Trained runners ran 5% faster in the later part of a 5000-meter race supplementing with beetroot juice 90 minutes prior to their event. The article did note a recommendation of supplementation 150-180 minutes before ergogenic effects are observed

• Athletes seem to benefit most from beet juice supplementation 150 minutes prior to their events.
• Research suggests supplementing with beetroot juice at least six days prior to intense exercise or athletic events for best ergogenic benefits.
• Active healthy adults supplementing with beet juice for 15 days showed an increase in power and oxygen during sustained exercise.
• Prolonged beetroot juice supplementation in combination with endurance training is shown to promote mitochondrial biogenesis. Exercise causes cellular stress and mitochondrial biogenesis is a process where our body increases energy in our cells.
• It is suggested beetroot juice supplementation may improve muscle contraction functions.
• Beet juice is indicated to improve cardiorespiratory fitness in athletes performing in higher altitudes. Best results were reported when beet juice was supplemented at least six days prior to their events.
• Caffeine appears to interact with beetroot juice and mask the ergogenic benefit.
• Oral antiseptic rinses can lessen the effect of nitrate levels in beet juice and are not recommended.

• Research was conducted using amounts ranging from 70–500ml beetroot supplement dose for best ergogenic results. This is approximately 2 cups of juice or 384 grams.
• The most common side effect reported was beeturia (red urine) and red stools.

The Science Behind Beet Juice Performance

It has been intriguing to gain a greater understanding of the science behind using them.

Beets are well-known to possess large amounts of nitrates that get changed into nitrites and eventually nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide assists in enlarging your blood vessels and reducing your blood pressure, thus providing your muscles with more oxygen. This is exceptionally advantageous for joggers and other long-distance competitors.

• More oxygen to the muscles means being able to work harder with less effort
• Elite runners seem to see less benefits as they are already very efficient
• Dilating the blood vessels means more flows next to the skin, so you can cool yourself better on hot days
• Improves heart health, which means better blood flow
• Can increase energy production with mitochondria

In recent years, countless research has been conducted to examine the advantages that beetroot and its juice can bring to endurance athletes.

A 2012 study concluded that consuming whole beetroots could be beneficial in running performance in adults who were healthy.

The findings of the 5k run test revealed that when runners had consumed whole beetroot rather than a placebo, their speed during the last 1.1 miles was 5% accelerated and the rate of perceived exertion was significantly decreased.

A study from 2018 that observed elite-level marathon runners concluded that 15 days of consuming beetroot juice led to improved time endurance.

A different study resulted in the discovery that consuming beetroot juice can influence the amount of oxygen reaching skeletal muscles, muscle capacity, stamina and perseverance, which may have a beneficial effect on sports performance.

Many other research projects have demonstrated similar outcomes. However, research that have shown various outcomes have also been conducted.

A study, unprecedented in its focus, explored the potential of beetroot juice to augment circulation to muscle tissue during physical activity.

The people taking part consumed beetroot juice that was full of nitrate and then did a handgrip workout. The researchers uncovered that there was no rise in blood circulation to the arm muscles or an enlargement of the brachial artery of the arm.

It is essential to be aware that the majority of experiments regarding beetroot have limited participants.

Consequently, further research will have to be done in order to make more precise statements about the advantages beetroot can provide for runners, cyclists, and other groups of people.

When to Consume Beets for Athletic Benefits

What is the best time to consume beets in order to receive the most benefit? Recent research appears to indicate that taking a supplement up to 5-7 days before engaging in strenuous physical activity may lead to improved outcomes.

• Ideally you want to have a consistent build up of the nitrates in your system
• However, studies have also shown 500mmg of beetroot juice 90 minutes before a race works as well. It peaks in your system after about 2 hours.
• Do not brush your teeth after the juice. The bacteria in your mouth is actually required for the process of turning it in to nitric oxide.

Before starting an intense exercise session or running a marathon, it might be beneficial for you to have a daily dose of beet juice or include components of beets in your meals and observe any improvements.

Beets vs Beet Juice

Whole beets, beet juice, or beet powder?

An array of beet-based items are available for purchase nowadays. Serena remarks that it is essential to stay consistent, so it is best to select the form that is most comfortable for you to stay with.

Beets come in many shades and although there are some distinctives between them, they generally have the same nutrient value. It is readily available throughout the year in supermarkets, or you can obtain it from the seasonal farmers markets.

Health Benefits of Beetroot

The evidence appears to suggest that running and other endurance activities can have a beneficial effect.

• Reducing inflammation. According to the Cleveland Clinic, inflammation is linked to things like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Beets, with their high levels of betalains, are known to be anti-inflammatory.
• Protection. Antioxidants found in beets help protect your cells from damage and may lower your risk of some diseases.
• Improved skin health. Vitamin C is important for healthy skin and beets are rich in Vitamin C among other essential vitamins

Incorporating Beets Into Your Diet

Beets are a great addition to a healthy diet. Serena Marie, a qualified nutritionist and RRCA running instructor, gave some helpful advice on how frequently and in what way to include beets in our lives on a regular basis.

If you are after the potential performance effects, it may be necessary to consume beetroot juice or supplement in powder form in order to get a large enough dose.

Serena suggests that it is unlikely that one will eat too many beets. Nitrate-rich foods are safe for those with healthy kidneys. She points out that simply eating beets alone will not guarantee overall good health.

Excellent health is obtained through acting in a consistent manner, dealing with stress efficiently, and eating a balanced diet. Beets can be incredibly beneficial for your heart health, lowering your blood pressure, and they could even enhance your performance.

Serena’s opinion is that it is your decision how much and how often you should consume food or beverages. Various levels of whole beetroot and beetroot juice were used in the research experiments illustrated.

Ideas to Eat More Beets

There are many simple methods to incorporate beets into your meals. Some of Serena’s favorites include:

• Cleveland Kraut fermented beets with runny eggs on toast
• Adding roasted beets to salads with feta cheese, honey, and walnuts
• Beet chips (soooo yummy, but you’d have to eat a lot!)
• Drinking beet juice 
• Using a beet root powder with your protein powder or alone

As stated before, beetroot juice is commonly used in research.

You can purchase beet juice from a large variety of sources. You can find bottles of it at any grocery store and you can purchase highly concentrated beet juice shots online as well. You can make your own juice at home, and there are lots of different recipes out there which can include a variety of fruits and vegetables.

You could also consider putting beetroot powder into your smoothies or oats. The taste of the beet powder is not particularly strong, therefore there’s no need to worry about it changing the flavor of your dish or beverage. However, it will have an effect on the color. Red oatmeal can really turn heads!

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