The findings of a new endurance sports nutrition study

A few weeks ago, I reported on two different studies that showed that drinking cherry juice can ease post-exercise pain. Definitely good news for all of us involved in marathon training, triathlon training, or any other type of endurance sports training. Now I bring you the findings of another recent study investigating the powers of another type of juice: beetroot juice. While almost certainly not as tasty as cherry juice, it seems that beetroot juice may have the power to enhance endurance performance.

In a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom had eight men drink 500 ml of either beetroot juice or blackcurrant cordial every day for six days and perform a series of moderate-intensity and severe-intensity exercise tests over the last three days. They found that during moderate-intensity exercise, the participants drinking beetroot juice used 19 percent less oxygen than those drinking the blackcurrant cordial. And during the severe exercise test, those consuming the beetroot juice were able to exercise 92 seconds longer than the blackcurrant cordial drinkers.

What’s in beetroot juice that might explain this increase in endurance and decrease in oxygen use? Nitrate. Beetroot juice is a good source of nitrate. And nitrate can help the body synthesize nitric oxide, which helps your muscles use oxygen more efficiently and increases blood flow through muscles.

Clearly, this was a small study (only eight participants), so more research is needed. That said, it probably couldn’t hurt to try a little beetroot juice in the days leading up to your next long marathon training run or tough triathlon training workout. And if beetroot juice isn’t your cup of tea, nitrate is a natural compound found in varying degrees in plant-based foods. In particular, green leafy and root vegetables, such as spinach and carrots, are good alternative sources of nitrate.