LONDON: Beetroot juice could keep athletes at the top of their game by boosting stamina. The brightly-coloured juice gives cyclists such a boost that they can shave vital seconds off their time, Exeter University research shows.
The benefits of beetroot juice don’t end there, with previous studies from the university crediting it with increasing stamina.
Lowering blood pressure, warding off dementia, and even giving pensioners the extra energy they need to make a trip to the shops, could all also be in its power.
While the list of benefits may seem remarkable, scientists say the can be explained by the abundance of nitrite in the veg.
Once inside the body the chemical gets to work widening the blood vessels, speeding oxygen flow to the muscles – including the brain – and allowing them make the most of the oxygen breathed in.
In the latest study, the Exeter team asked nine men who cycle competitively to compete in time trials over 2.5 miles and 10 miles.
Before setting off, they drank just under a pint of beetroot juice.
They repeated the two routes on a different day, but this time fuelled by beetroot juice missing its nitrite.
When the cyclists drank the nitrite-rich, ordinary beetroot juice they were 11 seconds quicker over the shorter distance and 45 seconds quicker over the longer route.
While this may not sound like much, the top two riders in last year’s Tour de France were separated by just 39 seconds.
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