Latest Research Regarding Beet Root Juice
For several years now, we’ve known that Beet Root Juice significantly increases time to fatigue in performance, anywhere between 12 and 25 percent depending on dose and time of supplementation prior to measured exercise performance.
Beet Root Juice is high in Nitric Acid(NO):
- NO aids increases circulation via vasodilation
- NO improves neurotransmission
- NO improves K/Ca handling in the body
- NO has also been shown to have glucose sparing effect, meaning, levels of circulating glucose don’t decrease as much in the presence of NO.
- NO increases the expression of Ca handling of proteins.
The original research coming of of Exeter University in the UK suggested that 500ml was the dose for performance enhancement. More recently it has shown that 140 ml, in the case of Beet it Juice, 2 bottles has shown to see improvements. With the greatest improvements in performance with 6 days of supplementation.
To be digested into the necessary chemical compound for enhanced performance lingual anaerobes must be present. Lingual anaerobes are located within saliva. In the absence of these digestive proteins in the mouth the performance enhancement of NO will not be reached. What does this mean?
This means, that if you are using mouthwash, you will not be able to break down the nitrates to NO in order to achieve the benefits of NO supplementation.
From a dietary perspective, and Zoefitness thoughts:
Regularly eating foods that are high in Nitrates(this does not include the meat preservative, that causes cancer), you should be able to benefit from the performance enhancing properties of NO.
Beets are high in nitrates, as well as green leafy vegetables.
200-300 g of spinach contain a dose dependent level. I have not seen a dose dependent recommendation specific for beets.
I would highly recommend adding diced beets to your green leafy spinach salads.
Possible shortcoming: often times with nutrition deficiencies, we see improvements within the 3 days of supplementation. So I am asking myself, is this an improvement based on an deficiency? Would we continue to see improvements if we increase our beet and spinach consumption in our daily intake? Would we see a plateau? Would we continue to see improvement?
Beets and spinach are such great foods, they are alkaline foods, that help lower the acidity in our blood and our bodies and should be part of our daily consumption of calories.
One thing is for certain, in the very least for improved performance you should be eating these foods 6 days prior to an event, in the absence of mouthwash.
-Coach Zoe
I think, it is important to mention “beeturia” that is when the red color of the beet shows up in the urine and feces. Make sure that this is not blood by removing the beet from the diet, if the redness does not go away, please consult your physician.