Beetroot juice!!

A snowHead

I've used beetroot juice as a pre-race drink when running for a few years now. It may be psychological for me, but there is some science / research behind the benefits it brings in terms of oxygen uptake for amateur (i.e. non-elite) runners.

Anyway, I put two and two together and thought whether it might affect my oxygen levels for skiing, as I always seem to experience a couple of days of slight wooziness at the beginning of a skiing holiday which I've attributed to mild altitude sickness effects.

It turns out that there was recently a research paper into the impact of beetroot juice on altitude sickness, and that it does bring benefits.

So this trip I drank it before I went, and had a glass or so for the first few days in resort. On my scientific study of one individual, this worked! No issues at all, felt 100% (which is not like me, as the first days were very flat light and that also seems to encourage dizziness in me) so I'll be doing this every time from now on.

Just thought I'd pass on the experience in case anyone else fancies trying it!

Here's the science bit - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151012083808.htm

A snowHead

@larkim, I was interested in the research on beetroot and energy levels too. Never thought of it for helping with adjustment to altitude. Seems a good idea and can`t see that it could do any harm!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@CaravanSkier, may darken stools Very Happy

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Where, pray tell, can one get a hold of this magic elixir? I won't have to buy a juicer or something, will I?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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@Ingemar_Skidmark, Off topic, but your user name just made me squirt vino from my nose!!! Laughing

After all it is free

met a nutritionalist from bristol uni a few years back on a off piste trip , she was doing a study into the effect of drinking beetroot juice on the build up of latic acid in endurance athletes , and she was very sure that it reduced the build up of latic acid but did not have an immediate effect , it needed to be taken every day for a 3 months before any postive effects were seen , last year took part in a mutli stage 7 day mtb race and regilously drank 300ml of the dark stuff for 12 weeks before the race and it did work for me , but stopped after the race and I'm now back to suffering when riding anythiing over 60km

@Ingemar_Skidmark, any decent supermarket should stock it

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

I'd read that there is a more or less immediate effect (2 hour pre race drink) not in relation to lactic but in relation to oxygen uptake. I'll try to dig out the research link.

In terms of seeking it out, BeetIt seems to be the market leader, I can find it easily enough in my local Tesco and Morrison's. It's quite palatable (blended with a bit of apple juice to reduce the earthy taste), but pink stools and urine are mildly amusing, especially if you've destroyed yourself in a half marathons and feel as if it would make sense to be peeing blood at that point!!

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Does Borscht work as well? I love Borscht, but hate Beetroot juice...

snow reports

its good stuff been used by bodybuilders for a while no, increases nitric oxide, which is a vasodilator (think bulging veins Laughing

) ive used it to train with a lot of times, helps more blood and therefore nutrients to pass into muscle tissue

"Let's turn on the juice and see what shakes loose."

You know it makes sense.

Sorry, bit subtle, but couldn't resist a Beetlejuice quote.

I laughed.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@thecramps,

Laughing

Particularly knowing what it does to a lot of people's bowels…..

A snowHead

A friend was supposed to be coming on a ski holiday with us a few years ago but instead was in a and e as he thought he had internal bleeding, turned out he'd been on the beetroot! We flogged his lift pass to someone in a bar 😀

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

oh yes beetroot juice, but it has to come from very fresh, very organic, fair trade beetroots, we have a supplier from a small North London bespoke vegetable seller. It is quite important to treat nutrition appropriately before a ski holiday- and during. The beneficial effects of nitrates, betadiene, magnesium and chlorophyll (if you eat the leaves) will indeed oxygenate your blood- what can be wrong with that?

As recreationally active individually we believe it is really important to take every advantage we can from nutrition, which is why we also eat lots of other performance enhancing fruits like Goji berries, kumquats, bananas and (although I've mentioned this before) Mrs Ed always steams cleans with a mugwort V-steam- it really helps stave off the terrible effects of all those days in thermals and chemical ridden Goretex. Mind you since the use of organic merino G-strings this all seem stop have settled down a lot.

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@ed123,

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Can you just by a jar from the supermarket, eat the beetroot & drink the juice?

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@stewart woodward, most beetroot you buy isn't in beetroot juice.... but you could just eat the beetroot. wink

or possibly canning/preserving reduces the health benefits.

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Pickled beetroot or the pickling liquid it is in won't cut it apparently.

After all it is free

Apparently celery does the job too:
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/10-cycling-superfoods-you-need-to-try-45931/

Hmm What are the power calculations. n=4 pre health check, expected SD? et etc etc. If you want to know about statistical population bias etc then a good paper is on moron neurone disease and look for the author called Scott.

Help!!

Beetroot juice!!

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