Studies show that beet juice increases blood flow for enhanced workout performance.
Pre-workout supplements significantly enhance exercise performance and stimulate protein synthesis, boosting intensified gym sessions and muscle growth (1). The market offers a variety of pre-workout supplements, many of which contain caffeine. Caffeine is a potent stimulant that aids muscle recovery by enhancing blood flow, facilitating nutrient delivery to various body parts, and assisting in waste removal. However, caffeine’s major drawback is its potential to disrupt sleep patterns. Beet juice stands out as a healthier and more natural alternative.
This article explores the advantages of using beet juice as a pre-workout option for athletes, detailing its benefits and the various types available tailored to individual preferences. Dive into the world of beet juice pre-workouts and discover why it’s an excellent choice for enhancing your athletic performance.
Why the Pump?
Before getting into pre-workouts, we must understand the concept of “the pump” and why it’s essential to bodybuilding. The pump is a temporary feeling of increased muscle size immediately after an intense workout. It’s a way to achieve maximum muscle growth. Usually, during a pump, there’s an increased blood flow to muscles that supply oxygen and essential nutrients. This plays a crucial role in muscle growth, bodybuilding, and recovery.
Like Arnold Schwarzenegger stated in the bodybuilding film Pumping Iron, “The greatest feeling you can get in the gym or the most satisfying you can get in the gym is the pump. Let’s say you train your biceps. Blood is rushing into your muscles and that is what we call the pump. Your muscles get a really tight feeling like your skin is going to explode any minute, and it’s really tight like someone is blowing air into your muscle. It just blows up. It feels different; it feels fantastic.”
What Does the Pump Do?
- It increases blood flow to the muscles you’re targeting.
- The pump supplies oxygen and essential nutrients to the target muscles, which is good for muscle hypertrophy.
- It helps with protein synthesis.
- It helps with quick muscle recovery.
- It clears the body of toxic wastes like lactic acid.
Now, we understand the concept of the pump in bodybuilding. But what causes it? Enter nitric oxide, a compound gas that relaxes the blood vessels (vasodilation) and helps facilitate blood flow to target muscles. This gives you the satisfaction of maximum fullness and the feeling of “your skin exploding,” as Arnold Schwarzenegger says.
Beet Juice Pre-Workout & Nitric Oxide
Beets or beetroots are natural pre-workout foods with a high concentration of nitrates that athletes can use to enhance their exercise performance. They provide essential vitamins and minerals, increase blood flow, and improve cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory efficiency.
Making beets into beet juice powder allows for easy dissolution and consumption as juice before and after workouts. When consumed, beets undergo oxidation, converting nitrates to nitric oxide. This, in turn, makes your exercise performance easier and increases blood flow, carrying nutrients to different targeted muscles and giving you that pump you desire. Here is a study showing the effects of beet juice supplementation on athletes during exercises, including muscle strengthening and increased blood flow (2).
Beet Juice Pre-Workout Benefits
Beet juice pre-workouts are natural and safe supplements that bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts use to enhance their exercises. Here is a list of other benefits you can derive from using them.
Increases Blood Flow
Beets are known to be high in nitrates, which become nitric oxide. This compound relaxes the blood vessels, allowing them to dilate, increasing blood flow. It also lowers blood pressure.
Natural Sugars
Beet juice, derived from beetroot plants that contain natural sugars, gives a quick burst of energy during exercises. Like pre-workouts, it delays muscle fatigue and helps improve exercise performance.
Reduces Muscle Soreness
Muscle soreness occurs immediately after an intense exercise session, usually between 24 and 72 hours after the exercise. Beet juice contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances that help tend to soreness and speed up muscle repairs and recovery.
Improved Endurance
Beet juices can help athletes improve their exercise endurance and limit their oxygen consumption during workouts. This leads to better and longer exercises, improving your physique goals and results.
When to Use Beet Juice Pre-Workout
Below are some ways to use beet juice to reap bodybuilding and fitness benefits.
- On days leading up to an intense workout session, you can regularly drink beet juice to build up the nitrate levels in your system.
- Have 500 ml of beet juice one or two hours before your exercises. This allows time for the nitrate to convert into nitric oxide.
- Be consistent with your beet juice pre-workout intake. This enables you to get the most out of beet juice.
- You can also try different doses of the beet juice pre-workout to see which is best for you. Try taking it more or less. The moment you find what works for you, stick with that dosage.
Wrapping Up
Beet juice is an outstanding pre-workout supplement for bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. It offers a natural and generally safe option to boost exercise performance. While regular consumption is typically safe, it’s important to practice moderation. Should any health issues arise, consulting with a healthcare professional before continuing its use is advisable.
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References
- Kaczka, P., Batra, A., Kubicka, K., Maciejczyk, M., Rzeszutko-Bełzowska, A., Pezdan-Śliż, I., Michałowska-Sawczyn, M., Przydział, M., Płonka, A., Cięszczyk, P., Humińska-Lisowska, K., & Zając, T. (2020). Effects of Pre-Workout Multi-Ingredient Supplement on Anaerobic Performance: Randomized Double-Blind Crossover Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(21), 8262. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218262
- Domínguez, R., Cuenca, E., Maté-Muñoz, J. L., García-Fernández, P., Serra-Paya, N., Estevan, M. C., Herreros, P. V., & Garnacho-Castaño, M. V. (2017). Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Cardiorespiratory Endurance in Athletes. A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 9(1), 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9010043
