Beetroot Juice May Help Endurance
MARIA CHENG | 10/ 2/10 07:10 AM |
LONDON — When Chris Carver ran an ultra-marathon in Scotland last year, which challenges athletes to run as far as possible within 24 hours, he ran 140 miles (225 kilometers).
Determined to do better in this year's race, Carver added something extra to his training regime: beetroot juice. For a week before the race, he drank the dark purple juice every day. Last month, Carver won it by running 148 miles (238 kilometers).
"The only thing I did differently this year was the beetroot juice," said Carver, 46, a professional runner based near Leeds, in northern England.
He said more exercise would have improved his endurance, but to get the same result he attributes to the juice – an extra eight miles – it would likely have taken an entire year.
Some experts say adding beetroot juice to your diet – like other foods such as cherry juice or milk – could provide a performance boost even beyond the blood, sweat and tears of more training.
In two studies conducted at Exeter University on 15 men, Stephen Bailey and colleagues found cyclists who drank a half-liter (about a half-quart) of beetroot juice several hours before setting off were able to ride up to 20 percent longer than those who drank a placebo blackcurrant juice.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/03/beetroot-juice-may-help-e_n_748671.htmlBeet juice more effective than ‘any other known means’ of enhancing mitochondrial oxygen utilization & physical stamina; lowers blood pressure too
August 7, 2009
“We were amazed by the effects of beet juice on oxygen uptake because these effects
cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training.” – Prof. Andrew Jones, University of Exeter
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The research shows for the first time how the nitrate contained in beetroot juice leads to a reduction in oxygen uptake, making exercise less tiring. The study reveals, in fact, that drinking beet juice reduces oxygen uptake to an extent that cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training.
The research team believes that the findings could be of great interest to endurance athletes. They could also be relevant to elderly people or those with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic diseases.
The research team conducted their study with eight men aged between 19 and 38. They were given 500ml per day of organic beet juice for six consecutive days before completing a series of tests, involving cycling on an exercise bike. On another occasion, they were given a placebo of blackcurrant cordial for six consecutive days before completing the same cycling tests.
After drinking beet juice the group was able to cycle for an average of 11.25 minutes, which is 92 seconds longer than when they were given the placebo. This would translate into an approximate 2% reduction in the time taken to cover a set distance.
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http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=14768
I found the top article @ Huff Po's Food section and since I have two XC runners, decided to give it a try. I gave my son (XC runner & long distance swimmer) 2 ounces of beet juice with a glass of apple juice (there are warning not to give too much at one time) several hours before a challenging race. He ran his best race and didn't have the usual fatigue afterward. Although he doesn't care for beets, and wants to continue this to see if he keeps improving. Worth a try. :hi:
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