time to juice! .... beet juice that is

[upperhandy]

report here

Drinking the juice of red garden beets - beetroot juice - boosts your stamina and could help you exercise for up to 16 percent longer. A study led by the University of Exeter, published August 6, 2009, shows for the first time how the nitrate contained in beetroot juice leads to a reduction in oxygen uptake, making exercise less tiring.

The study reveals that drinking beet root juice reduces oxygen uptake to an extent that cannot be achieved by any other known means, including exercise training.

The research team believes that the findings could be of great interest to endurance athletes. They could also be relevant to elderly people or those with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic diseases.

The research team conducted their study with eight men aged between 19 and 38. They were given 500 ml per day of organic beetroot juice 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 percent 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 yet sure of the exact mechanism that causes the nitrate in the beetroot juice to boost stamina. However, they suspect it could be a result of the nitrate turning into nitric oxide in the body, reducing the oxygen cost of exercise.

The research was carried out by the University of Exeter and Peninsula Medical School and published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. The research team now hopes to conduct further studies to try to understand in more detail the effects of nitrate-rich foods on exercise physiology.

Corresponding author of the study, Professor Andy Jones of the University of Exeter’s School of Sport and Health Sciences, said: “Our study is the first to show that nitrate-rich food can increase exercise endurance. We were amazed by the effects of beetroot juice on oxygen uptake because these effects cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training. I am sure professional and amateur athletes will be interested in the results of this research. I am also keen to explore the relevance of the findings to those people who suffer from poor fitness and may be able to use dietary supplements to help them go about their daily lives.”

This study follows research by Barts and the London School of Medicine and the Peninsula Medical School (published in February 2008 in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension), which found that beetroot juice reduces blood pressure.

[Art Vandelay]

I have a KILLER source for beet juice... this dude in Scranton named Dwight Schrute... I'll have to try it...

[Tigershark]

Where can you find beet juice.

[Little76]

Ive got the most dope veggie patch you have ever seen. I juice around 2kg of beetroots every week. Add carrots, apples, cucumber, celery and some macro greens and you'll be on your way to helping get the acidity out of yor body, and getting in some useful enzymes .

[Times Roman]

I have a jack lalane juicer. made beet juice once, filled a coffee cup and i drank it down.

anyone ever do that?

by the way I was pissing dark orange all day, you'd think I was a junkie with kidney failure!

[swanny34]

Any opinions on how much a day ? In the morning with breakfast ? Probably doesn't matter but any personal experience.

[Little76]

I drink mine with every meal!
I make 1.5l of juice every morning and drink it all day. You dont want to leave this sitting for a few days as all the enzymes will die.

[VegasRenegade]

Beetroot Juice Side Effects: Negative

There are a few side effects of beetroot juice but they cannot be considered as 'beetroot juice risks' or 'beetroot juice complications'. Most of these beetroot juice problems are often not very serious. However, having knowledge about them is always handy. First and the most common of all the beetroot juice side effects is a condition which is known as beeturia. Consumption of a lot of beetroot juice leads to reddish colored urination and stools. But it is important to remember here that even though it seems scary, this condition is completely harmless. This condition is observed due to the betalain pigments and oxalic acid, that are present in beets. Many a times, chills, fevers and hives are reported by the people who consume beetroot juice. However, these reports are pretty rare and uncommon. The hives might be a sign of beetroot allergy and hence, one must stop the beetroot consumption as soon as any such side effects appear. A few people also report about the feeling of tightness in throat. This again is an uncommon condition, which might be observed after overconsumption of beetroot juice.

Beetroot contains higher levels of oxalate, that might increase severity of kidney stones. Hence, people with kidney diseases like kidney stones must consult their health care provider prior to consuming beetroot juice. Weight gain is an issue that one needs to watch out for, with daily beetroot juice consumption, because a cup of beetroot juice contains 100 calories and 25 g carbohydrates. Other than those mentioned above, there are not many beetroot juice side effects or beetroot juice withdrawal symptoms. All in all, you can moderately consume beetroot juice on a daily basis. Take care!
By Rutuja Jathar
Published: 8/4/2010