The Power of Beets

Beetroot juice (which I originally read as barefoot juice... not that beetroot juice is much better) may give elite cyclists the competitive (and legal) edge. In a study conducted at the University of Exeter, 9 cyclists completed two 4k and 16.1k time trials. For one set of tests, they drank ordinary beetroot juice, and in the other, they drank beetroot juice that had nitrate removed. The cyclists' VO2 levels were monitored to make sure that they were riding all out. The results showed that those who drank ordinary beetroot juice had a higher power output at the same effort level, which suggests that their muscles and cardiovascular system were being more efficient. This resulted in a 2.7-2.8% improvement in time for both distances. So, what exactly is nitrate doing? Well, it widens blood vessels, which reduces blood pressure by allowing more blood flow. It also has an effect on muscle tissue, reducing the amount of oxygen needed during activity. I wonder how they went about choking down a liter of this stuff 4x?!?