USE BEETROOT JUICE AS A PRE-WORKOUT DRINK
Beetroot consists of plant compounds known as pigments and inorganic nitrates which provide our body with amazing health benefits. Its nutrition profile is such that 1 cup of beetroot juice of 200 ml provides with:
- 86 calories
- 3.4 g of protein
- 0.3g of fat
- 17.6g of carbs along with Vitamin C, Folate, Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Iron, Manganese, etc.
Beets have a proven benefit to lower blood pressure and help prevent heart diseases that include stroke, heart failure and heart attacks. This is due to the high level of nitrates present in them. These dietary nitrates have blood-pressure-lowering effects.
These dietary nitrates also help to improve athletic performance as nitrates increase the efficiency of mitochondria which produce energy in our cells.
Beets should be consumed 2-3 hours of pre-training as they improve oxygen use and time to exhaustion. A pigment called betalains is present in beets that have anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, beetroot consumption has proven benefits to reduce inflammation. They are a good source of fibre and helps to improve our digestive health.
The nitrates in the beetroot helps to increase the blood flow to the brain and this helps to improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of dementia with growing age.
Regular consumption of it helps to prevent cancer because of its high antioxidant content. Having high water and low-calorie content it becomes a weight loss friendly food option for many people who are struggling to reduce their body fat percentage.
Beets can be easily added to our daily diet as they can be cooked in a lot of ways from being steamed to juiced or pickled. It is a deliciously versatile vegetable that provides us with a lot of health benefits and they fit well into a balanced and healthy dietary plan of a cyclist.
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