Pump Up The BEETS!
The short answer
Beets are shaping up to be one of the best supplements a concurrent-training athlete can take. They deliver dietary nitrate, they are cheap, the risk is close to zero, and adding them is about as simple as a supplement gets. On this episode Jerred and Joe walk through a systematic review on nitrate supplementation and muscle strength, then get into how they actually use beets in their own training.
Hey, Athletes! Pump Up The BEETS! Episode 180 of The Garage Gym Athlete Podcast is up!
Pump Up The BEETS!
IN THIS 34-MINUTE EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
- Jerred and Joe discuss a study on beets
- They discuss upsides and downsides of beets
- They go through how they use beets
- Quick team updates
- And A LOT MORE!!
What the research says
The featured study is a systematic review titled Effects of Nitrate Supplementation on Muscle Strength and Mass: A Systematic Review. Rather than reporting one trial, it pulls together the existing research on what dietary nitrate does for strength and muscle mass. Beets matter here because they are one of the richest and easiest food sources of that nitrate.
The coaches' read on it: beets keep showing up on the right side of the ledger for athletes doing concurrent training. This is not a supplement you need to agonize over. It is cheap, the risk profile is about as clean as it gets, and it takes almost no effort to include, which is exactly the kind of thing worth adding when the evidence keeps pointing the same direction.
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Jerred
Frequently asked questions
Do beets actually help you get stronger?
Beets supply dietary nitrate, and the systematic review covered in this episode looks specifically at what nitrate supplementation does for muscle strength and mass. The coaches' takeaway is that beets are worth including for concurrent-training athletes, with the caveat that no single supplement replaces the training itself.
What is the best way to take beets?
Whatever you will actually stay consistent with. Beet juice, beet powder, and whole beets all get you the same dietary nitrate. Pick the format that is easiest to keep in your routine.
Are there downsides to beet supplementation?
The risk is low, which is a big part of the appeal. Jerred and Joe walk through both the upsides and the downsides in the episode so you can decide whether it earns a spot in your own routine.
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