Using beetroot juice to enhance sport performance

We all know that fruit and vegetables are good for you but how can dietary nitrates like beetroot juice aid your sporting performance?

Original research from Professor Andrew Jones, Dr Stephen Bailey, Dr Anni Vanhatalo, and Dr Daryl Wilkerson - along with their University of Exeter Medical School colleagues - has been looking at the physiological responses of humans to beetroot juice supplementation. 

This research has provided new insights into the importance of the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway to metabolic and vascular control, with implications for the maintenance or enhancement of cardiovascular health, muscle efficiency, and exercise performance across the lifespan.

These exciting discoveries have impacted significantly on sports nutrition practice with beetroot juice now being used routinely to support competitive performance and training both in recreational and élite athletes.