Ive used it for hare and hound racing and find it helps me push on and the recovery seems faster. I’m no scientist but if it makes me feel better that’s a win.
I've been using beetroot powder or chews for at least a year. Generally, it reduces blood pressure to the point that some individuals can get off meds. As a cyclist, it wasn't a power improvement, but a general capability improvement. A more sustainable feeling. Just around the house, I don't crave afternoon naps.
Interesting!! I did feel good during week when drinking it.. so I definitely don't think it did any harm. If it helps people get off the blood pressure meds then that's a massive win too!!! Maybe need to head out on the test track for another go... Always hard to know as a one off test.. but for me this time it wasnt a hugely noticeable difference on the bike performance wise. Thanks for watching!
yes been drinking it for I think 3 years now (about 100ml-200 daily) and definitely feel fresher. My grandma also said her blood pressure is way better when drinking it for some days
I have been doing 2 cups of beet juice for 2 years everyday and before rides. I do not see a difference in watts but where I have seen the difference is , much lower heart rate for high power and longer to exhaustion . Which to me makes more sense , it can’t make you produce more power but should make you more efficient at what you do produce
The test in the video wasn't about max power, it was about average power. If his ability to do sustain efforts before exhaustion was higher than he would have been able to hold power his average higher. It is possible that he simply didn't go as deep as he could have. Comparing heart rate data or comparing a before and after ramp test might have provided more useful insight.
The other thing to add is that not all beet juices are created equal. Studies show Nitrate levels vary a lot between brands. From the bottle it looks like he was doing Beet It. Which according to this study is decent but not nearly the amount of nitrates you get from other brands. Not to mention, at the beginning he says he is skeptical , which may be a fair point but overall I think the conclusions here are unfair to the beet root www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8512783/
I think you need to evaluate it in a more complex way: - If nitrous trioxide has any effect (and this would be the effect of 0.3 % nitro glycerine spray for cardiac emergency) you'd need to see the blood pressure, the bpm and the pumping power of the heart. - All evaluations must be in an either controlled or clean environment without NOx in the air from traffic exhaust gases. - How about the number of red blood cells? How about the effect of other (fermented) red or green vegetable juices? How about sodium content? How about the effect of different pH-values of the juices on your performance. I think it's more complex than you think. 😉
You’ve made it overly complex lots of tests have been done and it’s pretty clear atleast for men. Every study done has shown an improvement of various levels for men. Women is a different story
There's a difference between statistically sound effect and clinical effects. While things may work in controlled environments their application is in the real world conditions. There you have to do the cost/benefit analysis. Also one ride Vs one ride is hardly a good measure in that regard given how performance varies day to day.
@@Przemo-c exactly my thoughts, one ride does not constitute enough data to be deemed statistically significant. Nevertheless the experiment was highly unscientific and very biased.
No one mentioned oxalates. Beetroot powder is full of oxalates that end up accumulating in the body. I drank it for years until I realized that it was clogging up my urethra and my joints. Took me years to remove the oxalates in my body from beetroot powder. I'm a 54 year old cyclist. I ride 70 miles daily. I don't use any kind of supplements anymore. But I do get high on a nice sativa hybrid before each ride. Gives me loads of energy.
Have using a beet root concentrate powder daily for about 5 years now. Its has help lower my blood pressure and I would venture to guess improved my O2 uptake. Ran out of it for 2 weeks once and had a noticeable difference in my riding. Cheers!
That's been my experience with a powder mix, you need at least 2 weeks before the changes show up in your body anyway. 5 years of Beetroot Pro, has my endorsement!
I love beetroot anyway, as a drink or as a veg. Something to take away is although this test and some others might not have startling increases in performance, it’s definitely time for people to wean themselves off the UPF sports cak and work with real foods that our bodies have evolved to deal with long term. My tip, eat as many different coloured plant based foods as possible along with your protein of choice. Your body will thank you for it 😁
I think it's more about the endurance benefit than the power of it. You will find that you are less out of breath during your effort but no gain in performance in term of power. That's what I find with my personal usage of it
I've been using beet supplements for a few months now to lower blood pressure. It has significantly lower my diastolic number which indicates my blood vessels relax more between heart beats. I have not noticed cycling performance improvements but i'm 62 years old so there are many other factors involved. Thanks for making the great video, it will be helpful to somebody!
2:37 athletes already produce high levels of nitric oxide naturally. That would explain when I took it I had a lot of nose bleeds on the left nostril only. When I stopped taking it the nose bleeds stopped.
So,I started taking Beetroot and Carrot Salad regularly now after 1.5 months after, My Max heart rate is reduced by 20bpm to 170 max now, which is unbelievable and i feel less fatigue. Beetroot reduces your blood pressure (like you mentioned in video), and that delays the peak point and helps recover faster.
I noticed the same thing. And I’ve noticed my max heart rate has gone back up on hard efforts since I forgot to stock up. I just add it to my hydration mix and consume it steadily while riding …..
I took SuperBeets (recommended dosage) for a couple of weeks and I ended up getting vertigo. It appears to have lowered my bp so much that I was dipping into hypotension. Dr didn’t believe me. It was the only thing I changed. Stopped taking it and after another 2 weeks of the room spinning upon getting out of bed, it finally cleared up. No vertigo/dizziness since. However I will say that after taking it that first week I definitely felt more powerful. Not sure if it was mental or not (could check strava I suppose), I’ve toyed with the idea of lowering the dose until I don’t have the side effect, but decided it wasn’t worth it.
I've had similar affects. I was using a powder called Full Send by Good Wolf Provisions. Every day I used it I would get super light headed upon standing. Made me feel very uncomfortable and dizzy. Basically stopped using it.
@troubadourperegrinus I believe the vertigo sensation is caused by low blood pressure. The nitrates in beets open up the blood vessels and if you've already got a lower than average BP, it might cause dizziness upon standing. That's what I discovered about myself. I don't think true vertigo is blood pressure related but I'm not a doctor.
Apparently it can be according to this: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9249281/#:~:text=Orthostatic%20hypotension%20(OH)%20is%20defined,orthostatic%20dizziness%2Fvertigo%20or%20not.
Beet root juice is legitimately beneficial. We used it for a number of our athletes across multiple sports and disciplines. Taste definitely isn’t amazing so we just had the players shoot it back. Chasing with something sweet or acidic like their electrolytes drink helped get rid of the flavor. Usage should still be catered for the individual and like anything too much is not great for you so dont just drink a bunch and hope the effect multiplies
Well, we all should realize that these dark red juices are incredibly healthy and beneficial for performance. Cranberry, tart cherry, pomegranate and beetroot juices. So yes, drink it.
I would argue that juices are unnatural in general. I mean, just have a look at how much fruit you need to get a glass of a juice. It's not like you would eat a bucket of Cranberries per sitting, is it? Let alone in just a few seconds.
@@philipcooper8297 You could say the same about flour, sugar, etc. as well as anything made from those products. None of those appear "naturally" in nature either, look how much wheat/sugar cane/sugar beat you need for those. 😛
Pomegranate Juice has been shown to boost cycling performance. It also reduces a swollen stuffy nose due to allergies. I am able to breathe and therefore sleep much better on the stuff.
As others have said, it's also recomended for blood pressure control - an issue that can creep up as you age. The silent killer - you don't know about it, even if you're fit.
How do you rate Bicarbonate Soda? I always drink it before a ride. Tee spoon in a small glass of warm water. Stir it until water is clear then chuck it down the hatch.
I agree with the more O2 in the blood stream. It’s for longer endurance and lower blood pressure. It also keeps the blood vessels clean of fats. Combine with a largely plant based diet, you will see. Difference.
I use the product, at least it looks the same without the label, in the video. It’s way more palatable with the 2% lemon juice and the concentrate means you don’t have to down as much. Big race I’ll take it once or twice a day leading up to it. Alternatively just race morning. In the past it led me to believe it worked, I can’t really tell now when I do or don’t use it.
I really enjoy these "Do they work" N=1 videos. Have you thought about Glycerol supplementation and hyperhydration? As Glycerol is no longer banned by WADA. The research is pretty interesting for it
When I was in chemotherapy, a lot of people were using beet root juice to help with their red blood cells level (which typically gets destroyed during therapy). I never took it, and I don't think I was in better or worse condition than other guys there, actually ate just regular food and took vitamin B. Also, docs would shrug when asked about benefits of any food supplementation during therapy.
I tried it a couple of years ago, had a large glass of it just before a group MTB ride, it didn’t sit well in my stomach and we did a big, hard climb early in the ride and the contents of my stomach all came back up and it was bright red! My riding buddies were horrified thinking I was vomiting blood. I won’t be trying it again!
I eat a can of sliced beats regularly. At least one a week and sometimes up to three a week. I'm not an all out performance athlete, so I eat them for the other health benefits, like helping with inflammation, reduces my brain fog a bit (and with a few head injuries as well as exposure to chemicals, I tend to have headaches and brain fog often. I already have excellent bp, so I don't feel any difference/relaxation in that aspect. I also like to think that the heart health is something I would rather enjoy now and in the future, when I am elderly.
In Brazil there's a brand of energy gels based on beetroot that's quite good. I use it regularly during long workouts and you can really feel the effects.
Connor, you are totally correct. That was not an experiment nor nearly representative of reality. The body decides how to use nutrients, not you. Beetroot, with its nitric oxide, along with multi collagen proteins, Omega 6 fish oils, vitamin D3 and K2, magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron take months to be absorbed and utilised in the way that you hoped. These nutrients are essential for endurance and recovery and metabolic health reducing the likelihood of insulin resistance as well as developing bone density and muscle. I am 64 yo, ride 90 km a day at 30 kph and have been doing so for the past 2 years. You and the guys at GCN need to delve deeper into holistic nutrition. Carbohydrates are not the answer either - please tell Ollie. I'm writing a book about nutrition and aerobic maintenance of the body. I'll send you a couple when it is published.
Hi Conor. Thank you for the video. You talk about a 800 mg of concentrated beetroot juice for a week, the useful amount according to the latest researches. I definitely agree about the effectiveness of beetroot juice on the aerobic capacity of a cyclist or runner. As the video shows, you used a centrifuger, to obtain the red juice. How many beetroots do you need to obtain 800 mg of juice? My question, forgive me, comes from the fact that this juice is damn unpleasant to me, it makes me feel nauseous and vomit even when drunk on an empty stomach and slowly, so I would like to reduce the quantity allowing it to have some positive effect. Thanks in advance for the answer🙏
Hey Carlo, so I drank concentrated beetroot juice from a manufacturer - which is much stronger and made palatable with lemon juice The homemade juice was more to visually show the process of turning beetroots into juice. I found drinking the homemade stuff really hard to drink.... definitely needs lemon juice added! I'd try the juice available to buy before looking at homemade to get the required strength to have any effect. Thanks for watching, Conor
Looks like you bought some sort of bottled stuff, however since the video shows the raw beet veggies, one might assume they can just juice them and drink. However it should've been mentioned in the video that if you do decide to juice your beets, they have a compound in them that's toxic if you drink the juice straight after being juiced. I forgot what this compound was and what it does exactly but there is a way to get rid of the negative side effects by placing the beet juice in as wide container you can find and letting it sit out for a good while. Someone about the juice coming into contact with air removes the negative side effects. Google it for more info if you plan on juicing your beets.
I accidentally found out about beet juice around 10 years ago. I started adding beet to my usuall carrot juice. 1km swim is easier than before which left me wondering. I believe carrot juice is also beneficial, probably the anti-oxidant content supress onset of muscle fatigue, and speed up recovery process.
Something which was not mentioned in the video- beetroot is high in oxalates and excessive consumption may cause adverse effects, especially on oxalate sensitive people.
Back in my running days, I did find that some of my very best performances coincided with my experimentation with beet doping. But I wasn't then, and certainly am not now, at anything approaching an elite athletic level. I'm at the stage now where I'm getting older and I find my power and speed declining every year. Maybe I should get back on the beet-doping train and see if it helps!
Yes I did when racing XC, didn't feel much of a difference. I now take it because I live at 6000 ft and it helps with my blood pressure. Beet root as a lot of good benefits (e g., hypertension) and liver cleanse.
It's difficult to prove on a "one off" that it's a performance enhancer. Because the studies are usually for a group and a number of different performance criteria. However I d have one result where I firmly believe it helped. On a trek to Everest Base camp on the third night at 18,000ft I experienced some quite frightening episodes of mental confusion. I had read that nitrates were one of the emergency treatments for altitude sickness. On a "just in case" basis I had packed a quantity of beetroot concentrate. It worked to the extent that that was the last time I experienced those effects on the trip. But let's be honest my "experiment" was no more proof than this video was a proof.
Super interesting, thanks for sharing Michael! I'll pack a few next trip to altitude myself.. maybe it works, maybe it doesn't but as I said - it doesn't do any harm so why not I guess! Thanks for watching Conor
@@gcn Well that might even make a better video. Have everyone show up an hour early except Conner. Then show Conner getting a 10000 calorie challenge. Finally show all the other presenters ask to tag along so they can watch. In the 10000 calorie episode Ollie WINS.
funny to watch this and hear your thoughts. I started seeing BR used by local triathletes then cyclists about 10yrs back. Honestly for me and a few of my average cycling buddies, beetroot is the only thing we believe that we notice a difference when using. I lift as well and there is a lot of data and supplements around NO for lifting, so it makes sense to hear Cav was a user and felt its performance. I think it lets me go a closer to the red line more often over and over on a ride, vs being a huge noticeable difference on a longer climb
For sure, I'm not saying it wouldn't have an effect for anyone else... I just feel for me it wasn't a hugely noticeable difference either way. Like i said, not a hugely scientific effort. Maybe I'd have been slower without it? Definitely didn't do any harm and I felt great/energetic during the time I was drinking!
Im using a Moxy NIRS device on my left VL muscle and I have a lot of comparative data of beetroot extract vs no beetroot and overall beetroot extract (not juice!) enhances muscle oxygenation by about 3-5%. More interestingly, the muscles stay oxygenated for longer during higher loads (very long Sweet Spot to FTP workout). Usually my Smo2 is about 83-85% and during long climbs it goes a low as 47%. With 1-1.5g beetroot extract I hit 88-94% Smo2 and it takes much longer to drop Smo2 and even if it drops, it only drops to ~51%. This doesn't make climbs with higher power outputs easier, but it makes them more sustainable and repeatable. Also, I can train harder more often. BUT training at Low intensity and "Zone 2" becomes more difficult to gauge, because the measurement of Smo2 BrakePoint-1 doesn't correlate with the zones anymore. The Smo2 max fluctuates a lot during the ride, so I wouldn't recommend it for aerobic training, atleast during the ride. After the ride I noticed, that my recovery period appears to be shorter. But that's just empirical and not measurable.
Oh and let me add, that beetroot juice doesn't really work. The concentration is just too low and extra boost you get is within the daily margin of Smo2 that I experienced. Also, chronic supplementation doesn't help as much, because I experienced a drop of Smo2 when I got off chronic use. Rather use it at a higher dose and only sparingly, for example if you do a hard training block with all the hard workouts in 1 week for example or before a race.
Once or twice every day in small moderate amounts give you the benefits of an energy boost without dying your insides red. I believe it's beneficial in several ways. Don't drink to much though.
i've used it for over 10 years. it definitely and noticeably improves my performance. it takes 2 to 2.5 hours to kick in then lasts for several hours. I'm a decent-level cyclist but getting on a bit now. I'm not convinced it would have any effect on elite athletes who have already effectively been genetically pre-selected as better. maybe their arteries wont dilate to the extent that mine do? if you've got any elderly relatives with slight heart issues then DEFINITELY get them taking one shot of beetroot juice a day (I think the sports shots are too much from what I've read but harmless to have more than needed). No I don't work for the company!! ;-) if you think it's a placebo then the company also sell the product as a nitrate free version
i am a borderline good-excellent VO2 max cyclist. I never believed this beetroot thing until i took the powdered form for a month, and boy it was a difference for me. I then stopped taking it after that and i clearly noticed difference. The one problem i have taking it is it makes my tummy acidic so i stop when i feel it’s too much. Ridicule me all you want but this stuff works for me to push harder imho
According to the Danish study, the participants were drinking 0.5 litre of beetroot juice every day for a week (the control group drank blackcurrant juice) and I suppose they were not told which of the two liquids were subject for the test, because the test method was double blind. Never the less, I like blackcurrant but not beetroot, so it really should boost my performance if I should drink it. +5 watts in a group of only 2 times 8 persons may be significant, but I really doubt it can be measured that accurately.
I use to drink beet juice everyday and i van say that the difference is day and night when ot comes to the stamina and energy when i use to have them vs not having them.
The Australian Institute of Sport has it on their list of approved supplements. One of the few that their research has shown actually does something, so yes it does. Bicarb works too, but it isn't a fun thing to consume before a race.
I started using Beetroot powder a few months ago to, hopefully, help with blood pressure. Can't really say if it's improved my performance but the Dr said at we'd check in about 6 months
Every major race that I have participated in has had a good result using beetroot. Personally I do not buy it, but use a DIY recipe - 1- to 2 cooked beetroots, with a knob of ginger and some orange or lemon in a blender and drink the lot for 6-days before a competition. Maybe its a placebo, but it works for me. Qualified for GBR Olympic distance worlds and European championships, Kona and 70.3 WC using it!
I thought I'd hate it but oddly enough BeetIt is really nice. I'm not sure it does me any good whatsoever but I would say i can't remember having a really bad training session with it. Now I'm off to the track.
I’ve found for me if I drink a hydration drink called water boy the night before a big ride and an hour or so before that ride I drink another I see massive differences! I can sustain a given effort far longer when I’ve loaded up this way and I supplement with an LMNT stick every hour during. Downside, it takes a couple days to release all of the fluid it causes you to retain! But there’s a clear difference between rides without this and with!
I use it for a pwo to get a great pump in the gym, And i also feel my motivation is alot better but that could be a placebo effect, but when i take it i do feel the gym session to be better and alot easier 😊
Yet to watch and have this on pause to say simply that yes it genuinely does. Regular supplementation for me always makes a very noticeable difference to my endurance and ability to recover during hard efforts and climbs!
I find that beet juice wakes me up and gives me energy way more so than can be explained by the sugar content. I also just feel healthier and more vigorous when I drink it. Not sure if it helps me ride faster, but I doubt it hurts
I tried it a few years ago. Considering I hated beetroot it was a big ask. I did notice a performance change but the cost was too great to continue on. What did change was that I now love beetroot in any form. Go figure.
I use a product called Beta Red. It's a refined product which removes possible rule violating components. I can feel the effects of nitrates on my body. I notice the difference when I don't use it. One thing is sweat volume goes up which helps with cooling.
@@na-dk9vm Nitrates or nitrous oxides expand your blood vessels. This increases blood flow to your muscles, including the heart. You'll feel flushing of the skin if it is working.
@@na-dk9vm Definitely. And I can work out longer. You have to be careful not to overuse though. Your body will eliminate that you can't use and it resembles blood.
If you believe it will, like a placebo it will. I took over 30 min of my half Ironman time in one year because of a vitamin I believed was helping me gain energy.
It may or may not increase your performance, but it definitely makes you panic when going to the loo the next morning, if you've forgotten you drank it the previous day.
I eat shredded raw beetroot in salads and coleslaw, because I like the stuff. I expect like all nutritional bollocks, they just cherry picked and exaggerated some marginal biochemical flim flam factoid and made the restup . Its no different to say carrot, it just adds variety and colour to my salads. I would recommend it for that, its great.
A wholefood diet makes a huge difference in performance on all levels. Just because nutrition can be extremely complex and hard to grasp doesn't make it bollocks, but this video does nothing to actually inform and is just a load of bollocks so Conor can get his paycheck from GCN.
I can tell it does for me, my beetroot juice source stopped selling it. Haven’t seen a source for what they had. They had very concentrated shots like the bottle you have. Next question were do you get it. I should say I discovered its effectiveness more by when I stopped for a while.
