Australian Scientists Show Beetroot Is An Effective Workout Enhancer
Rae Johnston Yesterday 2:00 PM
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Nitrate-rich beetroot juice might enhance performance among top level athletes, according to a joint study from The University of Western Australia, the Western Australian Institute of Sport and the Australian Institute of Sport.
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Dr Peter Peeling from UWA’s School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health at UWA was one of the scientists who looked at the influence beetroot supplements had on physiological and performance outcomes in elite kayakers.
The research saw six national-level male and five international-level female kayakers take part in a two-part study at the Western Australian Institute of Sport and the National Regatta Centre in Penrith.
“We looked at the difference that the use of a commercially available 70ml beetroot shot made to the time-trial performance and paddling economy of the athletes involved,” Dr Peeling said.
“In laboratory-based four minute ergometer tests, the beetroot supplement had a small effect on the distance covered, but was effective in improving the task economy of the male kayakers. When we used a greater volume of beetroot juice (140ml) among our female participants during a field-based 500m kayaking time-trial, we found there was a meaningful performance improvement of 1.7 per cent.”
“Given that the margin between gold and silver medals in the Men’s K1-1000m and the Women’s K1-500m races at the 2012 London Olympic Games was 0.3 per cent and 1.0 per cent respectively, the relatively small performance changes that we recorded are clearly relevant.”
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