Another day, another superfood. This one may be tougher to swallow: beetroot juice. Improved stamina, however, might be worth the effort of digging out that old juicer. My first question: what is beetroot? Is it a beet, the root part of the beet, or another a vegetable related to, but different than, a beet? According to Wikipedia, “the beet (Beta vulgaris) is a plant in the beet root family”. That was no help. Random online sources indicate that in the US you eat beets and in the UK you eat beetroots, but I’m still not sure what we eat in Canada.
The benefits of beetroot juicing are of particular interest to endurance athletes such as runners. Andy Jones (physiologist and advisor to Paula Radcliffe) and colleagues discovered that a nitrate found in beetroot juice decreases oxygen uptake, which sounds bad but really is a good news for runners. The researchers compared cycling performance after a six day beetroot juice bender (500ml per day) to a black current placebo. The cyclists spun for up to 16% longer after beetroot juice consumption. The increased exercise duration is equivalent to a 2% reduction in time over the same distance. Now 2% may not sound like much, but that’s an almost five-minute improvement on a four-hour marathon. I’ve watched people do more for less. As an added bonus, the beetroot drinker’s blood pressure went down. The researchers do not know why the beetroot nitrate boosts stamina, but they suspect the nitrate turns to nitric acid in the body, reducing oxygen consumption during exercise. Ultimately it reduces the oxygen cost of endurance workouts and enhances tolerance to high-intensity exercise. Basically, this nitrate-rich food can increase endurance without training. And it isn’t a banned substance. As much as I hate those vile little beets, which may or may not mean I dislike beetroots (depending on whether they are, in fact, the same thing), I’m tempted to try a glass.
Less training, more (beetroot) juicing?
Reference: Bailey, S.J. et al. (2009, in press). Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low-intensity exercise and enhances tolerance to high-intensity exercise in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology.
Title Reference: The Go-Go’s – We Got the Beat. From the album Beauty and the Beat. 1981.
LOL Wow – we must be on the same wavelength! I wonder if cooking the beet (and yes, it’s the same thing as beetroot) has any effect on the nitrate levels? Either way, it’s delicious raw too! Grated in a beet and carrot salad or juiced with some ginger and apples – don’t knock it til you try it Little Miss Run Shorts!
Your blog increased my reluctance – pooping beets? I’m not ready for that.
after i read the bbc article yesterday, i drank a few cups of diluted beet juice and peed pink the entire afternoon. that must have been where i got the energy for hills!
ps. i agree with m. i like beets best in juice form, especially when mixed with carrots, apples and pears.
I think that’s my best shot – disguising the beet with tastier fruits and veggies. I blame my Superpower – Supertaste – for this and other food aversions.
My favourite juce is a “C5″ from the juice bar at the St.Lawrence Market. Beets, carrots, celery and I think some apple. Get a 32 oz. bottle and it’s lunch!
It’s a new spin on the “liquid lunch”. I need to dust off my old blender.