Scientists at the University of Exeter is getting to the root of sports performance. New research links beetroot to improved sprint performance and brain activity in erratic sports like rugby.
The research team studied 16 male athletes who drank a beetroot sports drink called Beet It Sport for a week. On the 7th day, the men completed a sprint test and reasoning tests to see how quickly they can arrive at a decision. The men underwent the same activities after drinking a version of the drink without the high-nitrate beetroot content.
Chris Thompson, the study's research leader, explained that the nitrate-rich drink caused a spike of 3.5 percent in the men's sprint performance. There was also a three percent increase in their decision-making skills.
"The improvement we found may seem small, but it's likely to provide a meaningful advantage to the athlete on the sports field," said Thompson. The small increase in their men's sprint and executive performance can effect an entire team in the field. In sports, those several seconds can lead to either winning or losing the game.
The 400mg shots contain a high-nitrate beetroot content. When mixed with enzymes in the saliva, it activates nitric oxygen in the bloodstream. Nitric oxygen improves blood flow and increases the oxygen in the muscles that boost one's endurance.
Professor Andrew Jones PhD from the University of Exeter added that this added spike in athletes' performance count most in crucial sports events like the Rugby World Cup.
Beetroot has been shown to slow down the progress of dementia, a 2010 showed. Related studies proved beetroot juice can lower blood pressure within 24 hours of intake. Considered an Olympian superfood, beetroot is packed with antioxidants that help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow and stamina.
This dark red vegetable is either loved or hated by most people because of its acquired taste. In recent years, beetroot has become a fashionable food to eat or drink. The health benefits of this root crop helped escalate it to the levels of spinach when it comes to vitamin-packed foods. Famous beetroot recipes include borscht, a classic soup famous in central and Eastern Europe.
