Beetroot juice increases muscle force during exercise

A new study has found that dietary nitrate, a molecule found in beetroot juice increased muscle force during exercise. Previous studies have found that dietary nitrate enhances exercise by boosting endurance, helps to lower blood pressure and that the betanin (betanin gives beetroot a dark red colour) may help in the prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The Study from researchers at the University of Exeter and the U.S. National Institutes of Health traced the distribution of ingested nitrate in the blood, saliva, muscle and urine of healthy participants performing maximal leg exercises. The participants performed 60 contractions of the quadriceps over 5 minutes. The researchers found a significant increase in nitrate levels in the muscle which caused an increase in muscle force compared to participants who were given a placebo.