Many people spend countless hours in the gym trying to attain stronger muscles. The majority of these individuals follow sessions by taking a lot of proteins as they seek to promote muscle growth and recovery. However, research shows that adding beetroot juice to the post-workout routine can help individuals enhance muscle strength. 

Beetroot juice is rich in dietary nitrate that boosts muscle strength 

The University of Exeter scientists have established that dietary nitrate consumption could increase muscle strength while one is working. Dietary nitrate, the main active molecule in beetroot juice, is good for fitness as it boosts endurance and improves high-intensity exercise. Surprisingly, modern research has not understood why this happens and how bodies turn dietary nitrate into nitric oxide for body cells.

US National Institutes of Health and the University of Exeter sought clarity by tracing ingested nitrate’s distribution across urine, muscle, blood, and saliva in 10 healthy volunteers. In addition, each individual performed maximal leg exercises. Interestingly the team was doing this to understand where dietary nitrate activates in the body, which could explain the mechanisms at play. 

After an hour of consuming dietary nitrate, the subjects had to undergo 60 contractions of the quadriceps at maximum intensity for around 5 minutes using an exercise machine. During exercise, researchers noticed that nitrate led to enhanced muscle strength of 7% compared to placebo.

Dietary nitrate has performance-enhancing qualities 

Applied Physiology Professor at Exeter Andy Jones said that the study offers considerable evidence of dietary nitrate’s performance-enhancing attributes. Interestingly the stud offers the best evidence of the mechanism behind dietary nitrate’s muscle performance-enhancing properties. 

Previous studies noted increased body fluid and tissue nitrate after consuming dietary nitrate. With the latest research, the team accurately evaluated where nitrate levels are active and elevated and gained insight into ways nitrate improves muscle performance. 

Research collaborator and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases scientists at NIH Dr. Barbora Piknova said that the study demonstrates the significance of muscle nitrate levels in physical performance.