Do you remember seeing Olympic athletes with “cupping” marks on their skin at the 2016 Rio games? Its purpose was to loosen muscles, encourage blood flow and help with relaxation. It was the new “thing”, though the practice of cupping had been around for thousands of years.
Also being used extensively in Rio was a naturally sourced form of energy, again around for thousands of years, that was the star of the London Olympics in 2012 –– Beetroot. (Beetroot, sometimes spelled beet root, is simply the taproot, or main underground “bulb” commonly referred to as “beet” in the U.S.)
Why were all of these highly specialized olympic athletes using beetroot as their energy source? And why was the media, usually hyper-critical of can’t-miss energy products, so in love with this supplement?
First, it is a naturally sourced food that easily passed the stringent substance testing conducted on the athletes. Athletes could eat it, or as most did, mix up their beetroot powder into water making a beet juice, anytime and anywhere in the dining halls on in the village. They needn’t worry about any repercussions from eating healthy root vegetables.
Second, it provided enhanced athletic performance. In the build up to the London games, the British publication The Telegraph published an article detailing research on beetroot and how it boosted stamina. It noted that drinking beetroot juice doubled the amount of nitrate in the blood of volunteers, and reduced the rate at which muscles used their main source of energy. It found that beetroot juice helped muscles work more efficiently and lowered their oxygen uptake. The same effect was seen during both low-intensity and high-intensity exercise. [1]
Specifically, Chris Thompson, of the University of Exeter’s School of Sport and Health Sciences noted, “Those who had taken the nitrate-rich Beet Juice saw an improvement in sprint performance and an increase in their speed of making decisions without hindering accuracy." The full study is published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology and available on PubMed.
On the U.S side of the Atlantic, studies also found that regularly drinking beetroot juice increases exercise performance in terms of the heart's workload and oxygen delivery to the body’s muscles. "We were surprised by how little nitrate was needed to see such a large effect, “ said Dr. Amrita Ahluwalia in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
Third, the energy provided was almost instantaneous. The UK study showed that the nitrate in beetroot juice reduces oxygen uptake quickly after consumption, making exercise less tiring. Beetroot juice became the new king in the gym, pool, and on the track.*
Nutrology’s beetroot product, Beet Natural Pre-Workout, notes that you will feel the beetroot energy after consuming it as a delicious additive to your water.* Each serving of Beet Natural Pre-Workout is loaded with 3000mg beet root powder, 2000mg of Vitamin C, 1250mg of Yerba Mate, 1000mg of mushroom blend, and 250mg of VitaCholine. There is no creatine. And its colors, flavors and sweeteners are derived from natural sources.
Why is Yerba Mate in Beet Natural Pre-Workout? You probably have seen the Yerba Mate energy shots at the checkout line at your grocer or health food store. Yerba Mate is an antioxidant powerhouse and natural energy source. It is often described as providing a clean and calm energy and has higher polyphenol and antioxidant counts than both green and black teas. Relative to mainstream sugary and artificial-substance-laden energy drinks, Yerba Mate contains higher amounts of antioxidants and polyphenols than non-tea-based energy drinks.*
Beetroot, proven for centuries to have great health benefits, is now one of the undisputed kings of guilt free energy in the gym as well!* Just ask world-class Olympic athletes.
For more information about Nutrology and Beet Natural Pre-Workout, visit www.nutrologyonline.com
[1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/7741346/Beetroot-boosts-stamina-scientists-find.html
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.