A study has found that drinking beet juice before exercise can enhance the workout effectiveness for menopausal women.
On November 6, a research team from Indiana University in the U.S. published findings in the international journal Journal of Applied Physiology on whether consuming nitrate-rich beet juice helps improve exercise performance in women.
Nitrates convert to nitric oxide during physical activity, which enhances the responsiveness of skeletal muscles and blood vessels.
The research team recruited 24 women who had been postmenopausal for at least six years and conducted an eight-week circuit training program. This program consisted of strength training and aerobic exercises three times a week, without rest periods.
Half of the participants consumed 140 ml of beet juice 2 to 3 hours before each exercise session, and all participants underwent fitness assessments before and after the workouts.
The results showed that the beet juice group significantly improved various physical functions, including aerobic capacity and recovery. In the six-minute walking test, participants who drank beet juice walked 40 meters further than those who didn’t, who only covered 8 meters.
For aerobic capacity, which measures maximum oxygen uptake during increasing exercise intensity, the beet juice group saw an increase of 1.5 ml/kg/min, while the non-beet juice group increased by only 0.3 ml/kg/min. The beet juice group also showed a greater reduction in heart rate: after the six-minute walking test, their heart rate dropped by 10 beats per minute, compared to just 1 beat per minute in the non-beet juice group.
Due to hormonal changes, women after menopause often struggle to build strength and improve endurance, making it more challenging than for premenopausal women or men of the same age. The research team stated that their study suggests consuming beet juice before exercise may offer specific benefits for postmenopausal women.
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