Do you think beetroot juice improves athletic performance?

"Do you think drinking beet juice is a good thing? And can you get the benefits from a tablet"

Richard

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Gary replies:

Richard, I would not be surprised if drinking beet juice will bring about an improvement in athletic endurance. This is because most athletes are lacking sufficient nutrients in their bodies to supply the needs of intense and exhausting exercise.

Nitrates (natural ones found in food including beetroot) are essential for maintaining flexible and relaxed arteries and nitric oxide for directing blood to the right places. If the diet is poor in foods containing these nutrients then performance is, of course, going to improve if big doses are then introduced into the diet.

The other action which is not discussed in the article is the powerful antioxidant effect of all plants that are bright; especially the deep red and black pigmented vegetables, fruits and berries - that includes beetroot. Intense exercise causes a storm of free radicals that the body soaks up and neutralises using antioxidants. If antioxidant capacity is poor, exhaustion will rapidly set in and recovery will be poor.

If you think the results of the beetroot study are good, then read on....

I am a good example of the benefits of careful assessment of nutrient needs, first with a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis almost three years ago and then adding specific nutrients to meet the needs of work and sport. Being 56 years old and having trained and competed in sport non-stop since my early teens one can be assured that I have peaked long ago! At 56, I should be slowing down, so any performance improvements from here on have to be taken very seriously.

Now, here is the record today as compared to the exact competition situation two seasons ago in mountain biking: I am riding as fast as I was 20 years ago and fully 15-20 minutes faster over each of a series of five races as compared to when I was 54 years old. Each race is less than two hours duration and one can ride a very long way in 15-20 minutes. I am not doing any extra training. I am just healthier.

The reason for the performance gains is mostly due to improved nutrition, including a couple of "sports specials".

As a matter of interest, beta alanine is the amino acid the body uses for producing nitric oxide. This is sold on its own and in Balance Recovery Stack.

The most effective antioxidant for improving performance and protecting the muscles from damage is Astazanthin.

Other great sources of antioxidants are found in dark berries and all bright berries, including the skin of kumara. Load up Berry Brights and Fruitful Greens are concentrated sources of antioxidants that can be added to your Super Smoothies.

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