I think you are missing my point. Which is, if we have to chug sugar sometimes on the bike, wouldn’t it better to be sugar + some stuff, provided that stuff is not detrimental ?
No I get it. I’m pretty much saying there’s both reason to and not to do it on the bike as either way you’ll get the benefits, it just won’t necessarily help in the moment if that’s what you’re looking for. Getting back to the topic of the post you can totally put a cherry/beet juice in your bottle if you like the flavor, maybe with some added salt or electrolyte mix, and be totally fine. Sometimes fruit juices can have fiber in them which can slow sugar uptake for better or worse but otherwise as said research paper suggested would be just as effective as a sporty drink but mostly from the aspect of sugar. Most of the other benefits from the drink, beets especially, would be derived off the bike and not in the moment that you’re chugging your bottle and putting out watts. Much like the workout text suggests to start taking your recovery drink during the cool down such a cherry/beet juice would start recovery that much sooner. Everything I’ve read suggests tart cherry juice is great for recovery and nothing is mentioned of in the moment performance or else I feel like the big brands like skratch, SiS and Nuun might put it in there and make a big advertising deal out of it. Nuun has a sleepy time tab that has tart cherry advertised in it so there’s that. But if you believe this will give you the edge you need to eek out a few more watts for a bit longer there’s no reason not to make a sporty drink out of it.
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It’s just so hard to control variables…..the only thing I can report a massive improvement is from heat training.
Agree. My belief is not very strong. I just see it as a free option. Maybe is nothing, but I got the sugar out of it at least.
I seem to recall in the Empirical podcast Coggan interview that Coggan said that beet root juice showed much less effectiveness in well trained athletes versus the usual recreational athletes that are studied.
Ergogenic benefits might depend on individual aerobic fitness level, where individuals with lower fitness level may gain higher benefits regarding athletic performance. Dietary nitrate supplementation appears to have some effect on training performance in patients with peripheral artery disease, heart failure, and chronic pulmonary obstructive disease.
I personally wouldn’t pay big bucks for beet root supplements or expensive juice. Eating beets, spinach, kale, carrots, etc. - sure, that’s good for you.
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This is the issue, 8 usd for 32oz
Report: Had a bit of gut discomfort with 100g of sugar of Tart Cherry Juice. Sticking to lower numbers with this.
I can’t remember how we got on the subject, but my physician is pretty hot on the beet juice idea. Said there are chemicals in beet juice that help to dilate blood vessels which can increase athletic performance. She asked me if I had tried it, and yeah I did and didn’t really like the taste and acidity. She said that there are ways to nullify that part of using it. She recommended it over Gatorade and other fad drinks which I totally agree with, hate Gatorade. Some of their flavors give me stomach aches/cramping.
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But beet root juice is not a replacement for Gatorade and beet root juice is expensive to swill on every ride.
I like orange Gatorade but not full strength. I use maltodextrin plus a little bit of Gatorade powder for taste. Super cheap when fueling is required for training.