Our first post on the super-food that can’t be beet documented research that showed drinking beet juice may be able to lower blood pressure and protect you against NSAID related damage.
Research also shows that beet juice may also improve endurance and stamina – this is big news not only to athletes around the world, but may also benefit the elderly and those with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic disorders.
More Fun, Better Results
A study conducted by researchers in the United Kingdom has shown that consuming beet juice may boost stamina and allow people to exercise for up to 16% longer.
That’s quite a lot, so let’s put that into perspective: What this study is saying is that if you could ride your bike (or run, swim, ski, etc.) for 100 minutes before reaching a point where you needed to stop due to exhaustion, you could now do it for 116 minutes.
Another way to look at this: “the results would translate into an approximate 2% reduction in the time taken to cover a set distance,” said the researchers. That would allow you to workout harder, longer and improve your physical fitness and burn more calories just by consuming beet juice – that’s pretty good for drinking vegetable juice!
Once more, these results are unprecedented as this is the first study to show that not only can nitrate-rich foods increase exercise endurance, they may also reduce oxygen uptake to an extent that cannot be achieved by any other known means, making exercise less tiring.
“We were amazed by the effects of beetroot juice on oxygen uptake because these effects cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training,” said one of the researchers. This is terrific news to weekend warriors as well as elite athletes – less tiring means more fun, and better results.
Good for athletes and non-athletes alike
These findings are obviously good news for athletes interested in increased performance. They also provide a way for everyday people to increase their endurance and burn more calories, which can be great for weight loss.
However, they may also hold a key for the elderly and those suffering from chronic illness as a way to improve their stamina and energy, including those with high blood pressure or other cardiovascular disorders, respiratory disorders and/or metabolic disorders, like diabetes.
The bottom line on beet juice
Lower blood pressure, increased endurance and stamina and increased exercise tolerance – what more can you ask for from your (soon-to-be-good-friend) beets?!
The research was conducted using 500 ml of organic beet juice per day for 6 days; that’s about 2 cups. You can spread it out over a couple servings and/or add it in with other vegetables and fruit to make it more palatable. If you find it too bitter, try peeling the beets before juicing – that should make it taste a lot better. Happy juicing!
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