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Ever wondered why your muscles get bigger while bicep curling or leg pressing?
It’s called the muscle pump, and it’s great for boosting your strength and endurance in the gym.
This is one of the key reasons why a pre workout supplement is good for you. It helps you perform at your best. You feel and look great in the gym – and that’s all that matters.
But which ingredient delivers this benefit? Beetroot extract.
Apart from being a great addition to a salad, this ingredient can help you achieve your fitness goals more efficiently.
This article will explain:
- What is beetroot extract?
- What are the benefits?
- The science behind it
- How much should you consume?
- Are there side effects?
What Is Beetroot Extract?
Also known as beet, and red beet, it’s a root vegetable that can be consumed raw, cooked, or pickled. You’ll find it in salads, coleslaw, curries and even chocolate beetroot cake.
It was first grown by the Romans in Italy, celebrated for its medicinal effects and earthy flavor.
Not long after, this vibrant red vegetable made its way around the world; becoming a popular ingredient in countries such as USA, Russia, France, Germany, Poland, and the UK.
However, not many people are aware of its benefits. Read on to find out more.
What Are The Benefits?
Beetroots are high-fiber and low in calories – especially compared to other vegetables. It helps improve your digestion too, with its high-level of health promoting anti-oxidants.
But how does it improve your workout?
The beet contains high amounts of nitrates, which is converted into nitric oxide inside your body.
What does this do?
Well, raised nitric oxide production results in your blood vessels dilating – a term called vasodilation. This leads to you experiencing intense muscle pumps in the gym as your arteries gush more blood into your muscles.
Not only that, it’s proven to improve your cardiovascular heath and sporting performance too – great benefits to gain from a pre-workout supplement.
With this in mind, 4 Gauge is formulated with an optimal dosage of beetroot extract; reliably providing you with benefits to improve your gym session.
Benefits summed up:
- Intense muscle pumps – nitrates allow more blood to be pumped to your muscles while you lift weights.
- Enhanced Endurance – improves your endurance in the gym, allowing you to make more progress.
- Reduced Fatigue – you’ll be less sore after workouts, so you can get back into the gym quicker.
- Improved Sporting Performance – perform at your best, whether you’re in gym or playing sports.
The Science Behind It
You can be forgiven to believe they’re just claims. You need proof? We’ll here’s the scientific evidence…
Intense Muscle Pumps
In a study by Ditte et al [1] 23 healthy men were either given 100 g of beetroot, or a placebo in a random order.
The participants’ nitric oxide levels were then measured at regular intervals, as well as their independent vasodilation.
The results:
- Beetroot promotes intense muscle pumps – The study confirmed that the supplement improved nitric oxide levels as well as blood flow. This directly promotes greater muscle pumps in the gym.
The result of this test was replicated in another study too – Lidder S et al [2].
Enhances Endurance
A study by Joel Eggebeen and his team of researchers [3] looked at whether a beet supplement had any effect on endurance. To do this, 20 participants were given doses of the extract before a small number of workouts.
Their time to exhaustion was then measured over the period of a week, as they performed cardio on cycling machines.
The results:
- Beetroot boosts endurance – The participants’ endurance levels had increased by 24% after 1 week of consuming the supplement.
Reduces Fatigue
Katherine Lansley et al [4] conducted a study to examine beetroot’s effect on fatigue. This included 9 healthy subjects; either given doses of the supplement, or a placebo.
Participants performed cardio on the treadmill each day for 5 days, before completing knee extension exercise tests on the 6th day.
The results:
- Beetroot reduces fatigue – The study proved that it reduces the O2 cost of sub-maximal exercise – what we’d call fatigue.
This result is backed up by more studies too; Muggeridge et al [5] and Breese et al [6] for example.
Improves Sporting Performance
A study by Wylie et al [7] set out to examine beetroot’s use as as sporting performance enhancer. 14 participants were randomly given either a dose of red beet powder, or a placebo.
The subjects then took part in sport-specific, intense intermittent exercise, with their performance measured throughout.
The results:
- Beetroot improves sporting performance – the participants who consumed the supplement performed better than those that were given a placebo.
Again, the results of this study have been replicated in numerous studies; Lansley et al [8], Peeling et al [9] and Murphy et al [10].
How Much Beetroot Should You Consume?
Now you know that this supplement works. But let’s be honest here; no-one wants to eat this on a daily basis.
So what’s the best way of consuming beetroot? A pre workout supplement.
This is why we’ve added an effective dosage in 4 Gauge – a generous 300 mg.
Are There Any Side Effects?
Beetroot extract is 100% natural, taken directly from the root vegetable. For this reason, it’s very safe and won’t cause any side effects.
Conclusion
Beetroot contains a high amount of nitrates, which raises your nitric oxide levels.
It increases nitric oxide production which causes your blood vessels to dilate. This directly enhances muscle pumps and improves performance.
Let’s recap the benefits of beetroot supplementation:
- Intense muscle pumps
- Enhanced endurance
- Reduced fatigue
- Improved sporting performance
As you know, numerous studies have backed-up these benefits, proving that beetroot is an effective ingredient. With this in mind, we added an optimal dosage of beetroot in 4 Gauge.
Bottom Line: Ultimately, this ensures that you’ll experience intense muscle pumps in your arms and legs, while lifting weights.
References
- Ditte, A. Hobbs. Acute Ingestion of Beetroot Bread Increases Endothelium-Independent Vasodilation and Lowers Diastolic Blood Pressure in Healthy Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J. Nutr. 2013; 143(9): 1399-1405
- Lidder, S. Vascular effects of dietary nitrate (as found in green leafy vegetables and beetroot) via the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2013; 75(3): 677-96
- Eggebeen, J et al. One Week of Daily Dosing With Beetroot Juice Improves Submaximal Endurance and Blood Pressure in Older Patients With Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction. JACC Heart Fail. 2016; 4(6): 428-37
- Lansley, KE. Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of walking and running: a placebo-controlled study.
- Muggeridge, DJ. The Effects of a Single Dose of Concentrated Beetroot Juice on Performance in Trained Flatwater Kayakers. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2013; 23(5): 498-506
- Breese, B et al. Beetroot juice supplementation speeds O2 uptake kinetics and improves exercise tolerance during severe-intensity exercise initiated from an elevated metabolic rate. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2013; 305(12): R1441-50
- Wylie, LJ. Dietary nitrate supplementation improves team sport-specific intense intermittent exercise performance. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2013; 113(7): 1673-84
- Lansley, KE. Acute dietary nitrate supplementation improves cycling time trial performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011; 43(6): 1125-31
- Peeling, P. Beetroot Juice Improves On-Water 500 M Time-Trial Performance, and Laboratory-Based Paddling Economy in National and International-Level Kayak Athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2015; 25(3): 278-84
- Murphy, M. Whole beetroot consumption acutely improves running performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012; 112(4): 548-52