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According to a new study, drinking beetroot juice can help in boosting stamina. It also adds that the magical drink can also help in you exercise for up to 16% longer.
The University of Exeter led-study has shown for the first-ever time how the nitrate present in beetroot juice can reduce the oxygen uptake, thus making exercise less tiring.
Drinking beetroot juice can reduce oxygen the uptake to a certain extent that cannot be achieved by any other known means.
To reach the conclusion, research team conducted their study with eight men aged between 19 and 38.
500ml per day of organic beetroot juice was served to them for six consecutive days before completing a series of tests, involving cycling on an exercise bike. On another occasion, they were given a placebo of blackcurrant cordial for six consecutive days before completing the same cycling tests.
After drinking beetroot juice the group was able to cycle for an average of 11.25 minutes, which is 92 seconds longer than when they were given the placebo. This would translate into an approximate 2% reduction in the time taken to cover a set distance. The group that had consumed the beetroot juice also had lower resting blood pressure.
The researchers are not clear about the exact mechanism that causes the nitrate in the beetroot juice to boost stamina. But, they may be because of nitrate turning into nitric oxide in the body, reducing the oxygen cost of exercise.
The research has been published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
