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A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics looked at whether eating 200 grams of whole beetroot, which is
about 500 mg of nitrates, prior to exercise would improve running performance
during a treadmill time trial.2 The study used a double-blind
crossover design in which subjects ate either baked beets or a placebo
consisting of cranberry relish 75 minutes prior to completing a 5 kilometer
treadmill time trail test. It turns out that those who consumed the baked beets
significantly improved their running times by three percent. While this
difference may not seem like much, a three percent faster time translates to a
41 second faster finishing time. This increase in performance is most likely
due to the conversion of nitrate to nitrite and finally to nitric oxide in the
body.
So how does dietary nitrate get converted to nitric oxide?
The breakdown and use of dietary nitrates actually begins in
your mouth. The bacteria on your tongue help reduce about a quarter of the
dietary nitrate from foods – such as beets – to nitrite which is then swallowed
and reduced to nitric oxide when it mixes with the acid in your stomach. Nitric
oxide regulates vasodilation, relaxing blood vessels and increasing blood flow,
which reduces the oxygen cost of exercise. This means, your muscles can use
less energy to produce the same amount of work.3
From a practical standpoint, this study indicates that
consuming 200 g of beetroot, or two medium sized beets – equating to
approximately 500 mg of nitrates – an hour or two before exercise could improve
your running performance. Different methods of cooking techniques – such as
baking or pureeing – do not appear to reduce the nitrate content. Therefore,
don’t be afraid to get creative even though drinking beet root juice may be
more palatable. Try smoothies, bake them into chips, or try other recipes from
the web!
Gavin Van De Walle is an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer,
a NANBF Natural Competitive bodybuilder, a nutrition columnist for “The
Collegian,” and a dietetic student at South Dakota State University. Once Gavin
becomes an RD, he will aim to achieve the distinguished Certified Specialist in
Sports Dietetics (CSSD) credential.
References
1. Ormsbee
MJ, Lox J, Arciero PJ. Beetroot juice and exercise performance. Nutr Diet Suppl. 2013:5 27-35.
2. Murphy,
M., Eliot, K., Heuertz, R., Weiss, E. Whole beetroot consumption acutely
improves running performance. J Acad Nutr
Diet. 2012; 112(4):548-552.
3. Larsen
FJ, Sschiffer TA, Borniquel S, et al. Dietary inorganic nitrate improves
mitochondrial efficiency in humans. Cell
Metab. 2011; 13(2): 149-59.