Tried and tested – Beet It shots

What: During the build up to my recent race I have tried and tested Beet It shots which is a 70ml dose of 98% beetroot juice mixed with 2% lemon juice. Available on amazon, 15 x 70ml for £17.71.

Why: This is a product used by many pro cycling, rugby and football teams and most famously consumed by Eliud Kipchoge during his training and recording of the sub 2-hour marathon and as he broke the marathon world record. According to the Journal of Applied Physiology runners shaved 1.5 percent from their 5km race times. This has been attributed to some research suggesting the beet juice can improve cardio-respiratory endurance in athletes by increasing efficiency and increased times before exhaustion.

How: Its all in the Nitrates. Nitrates, often found in dark, leafy greens are naturally converted into nitric oxide in the body. “nitric oxide improves your cardio-respiratory endurance—your heart and breathing endurance, or your long-term endurance—by decreasing the oxygen needed to do what you were already doing, especially in a situation, like running, where oxygen is in pretty limited supply,” (Lauren Antonucci, Director of Nutrition Energy).

So, what happened to me: Well, apart from suffering a few minor gut issues and heaving the first few days of taking the shots I found I had very slightly more energy during my training runs. I felt marginally more fueled to run a little faster on race day. The best outcome for me personally was the recovery times. Three days out of the week I run twice a day, whilst consuming these shots the second run felt better than normal! Research suggests no real rule of thumb for the time to take the shots. I found that the days I took them 2-3 hours before the run had less impact than when they were taken 12 hours + before a run. My inconsistencies in the time I took them were much to be desired and I would have to trial another round to have more confidence to say which way would prepare me better.

Would I take Beet It shots again? Why not! It took me three days to stop heaving after initial consumption but the final 4 days I only felt mild needs to heave! There were no negative effects to performance, so it is all about those marginal gains in my book.

Look out for my next tried and tested blog: Chai seeds