When it comes to running, many of us look for those marginal gains to help us achieve a personal best. Like making sure we’re properly fueled, using a good carb load, trying the latest Super Shoes…but what about nitrate loading?
For this week’s episode of the Cook Eat Run podcast, I spoke with sports dietitian and ultra-fast runner Tom Hollis about why he takes beetroot concentrate in the days leading up to his goal races and why it might worth a try for the everyday runner.
Listen to the Cook Eat Run podcast here
Why is beetroot beneficial for runners?
So it’s not exactly beetroot, but the nitrates found in beetroot and some other vegetables like spinach and arugula, rainbow chard, lettuce, etc. in significant quantities. When you eat nitrates, they are converted to nitrite in your mouth: it is the oral microbiome that converts the nitrate to nitrite, and then the nitrite is converted to nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide is a vasodilator that increases the diameter of certain blood vessels, which can improve blood flow. Studies have actually been started on using beets to help treat high blood pressure!
Better blood circulation means more oxygen to the muscles, allowing you to work harder with less effort. It reduces the oxygen cost of exercise, improving running economy and making you slightly more efficient.
It is also thought to have other physiological benefits that we know less about, although more and more research is being done on this topic.
Balinese Beetroot Curry from Cook Eat Run – try it here
How could taking beets improve your performance?
So there are three markers that are supposed to define your running performance: VO2 Max (your maximum oxygen uptake), your lactate threshold (the point at which your lactate begins to increase exponentially), and your running economy. It’s often been thought that there’s nothing that can boost your running and exercise economy, but nitrates potentially are.
And there has been a lot of research over the last 10 to 15 years on nitrates and endurance performance (although it’s no longer just runners and cyclists who use them, but sports teams, notably the NFL and major league baseball, although for other reasons which we will get to later).
It’s a bit like the nutritional equivalent of super shoes.
According to Jonathan Cartwright of Beet It Sports, the improvement in time to exhaustion ranges from about five to seven percent. So we’re talking about marginal gains, but over a marathon distance they all add up!
Which runners could benefit from a “nitrate load” and beetroot?
For once, it’s actually us mere mortals (i.e. average runners) who benefit the most from beets and nitrates. Research suggests that non-elite runners gain more benefits than elite runners (unlike super shoes).
This study found that beet juice had statistically positive associations with runners’ time trial performance in the low and moderate fitness groups, but not in the high fitness level groups. This is most likely because fitter athletes already have better vascular control and naturally higher nitric oxide levels. Additionally, evidence shows that the effect of nitrates is stronger in cases of hypoxia (oxygen depletion), which fitter athletes are less likely to experience, regardless of intensity.
How and When to Take Beetroot/Nitrates for Maximum Performance
In order to get the amount of nitrates that evidence-based research suggests is effective, you need to eat a very large amount of beetroot, spinach or arugula, so beetroot concentrate is the easiest way to complete.
The dose you are looking for is 300 to 400 milligrams of nitrate.
Beet It Sports make a line of beetroot shots containing 400 mg (and this is the product that has been used in many current research studies). You can try it on Xmiles – use code THERUNNERBEANS to save (podcast listeners get an extra saving, so be sure to listen to the podcast!)
There is some evidence that chronic intake for 6 days before your race goal could have additional benefits beyond just taking it in the morning/before the race, with studies showing that your muscles can act as a nitrate reservoir for store nitric oxide. According to the team at Beet It Sports, you can take it any time of the day. Basically, you kind of build up the nitrates in the muscles, the same way we carb load before a race.
However, the biggest benefit comes from your pre-race nitrate dose.
Before the race, it is advisable to take your dose of nitrates at least 90 minutes before running (although anywhere between 90 minutes and 3 hours seems to work).
It’s also important not to take them immediately after brushing your teeth or using mouthwash, as converting nitrate to nitrite requires your oral microbiome to get to work! Also avoid mouthwashes, chewing gum, etc.
But don’t expect to feel the effects (like we do with caffeine or carbs) – although just because you don’t feel a boost doesn’t mean it’s not happening! Stick to whatever you’re doing, like taking carbs, electrolytes, and fluids. Beet It shots are just one more thing that has plenty of research evidence to help you.
Should you just take beetroot before race day?
There is some evidence showing that nitrates might be beneficial for shorter intervals and high-intensity work, but they have been associated with submaximal efforts for a longer time. So for marathon or half marathon training, it may be worth using nitrates before long runs or tempo workouts, and it also allows your body to get used to the added a beetroot shot before race day.
Additionally, it is possible to benefit when training when it comes to recovery, because if the oxygen cost of your workout is lower, it will likely feel easier, recovery may be slightly improved and you will get a nice confidence boost.
Are there any negative side effects to nitrates?
No – other than the cost of the beetroot injections and the discoloration of your stools and urine!
What are the best nitrates to use?
Beet It Sport is the nitrate industry leader. The nitrate content varies depending on the beet and Beet It Sports has strived to standardize the amount of nitrate in each shot (unlike many other brands where the nitrate content can be very different from the amount advertised).
Beet It Sports keeps it clean without other additives and is Informed Sport certified. It is the nitrate injections that are used in most of the nitrate research that has been previously published and trusted by sports teams and individuals like Eliud Kipchoge.
What about Beet It Sports beet and cherry mix?
Beet It Sports therefore mixed the two concentrates. Sour cherry and beetroot, they are both known to be rich in antioxidants. Much research has shown that antioxidants such as sour cherry can help reduce muscle soreness or symptoms after a run. And this by reducing the inflammation you feel after exercise.
Scientists have advised us that the best way to take cherry and beetroot shots is to take them in the days before and after your marathon. By taking it right after the race, it’s a little too late. If you can get the antioxidants before the race, the body has them there to use when it needs them.
Don’t like the idea of Beetroot shots? Why not try Beet It Sport Crystals. These are perfect for those who travel for races/training and don’t want to fill your entire fluid bag with beetroot shots! Don’t forget to subscribe and listen to the podcast, and stay tuned for a 10% off code at Xmiles.
The Cook Eat Run podcast is sponsored by Xmiles.