How Beet It juice helps Hannah Miley's nutrition plan

The nutritional benefits of beetroot is becoming increasingly popular among top athletes looking for healthy and natural ways to improve their sports nutrition plans.

The power of the beetroot has been harnessed by elite sports stars due to it being a rich source of antioxidants and being high in nitrate levels.

Dietary nitrate is found naturally in beetroot and other green leafy vegetables. By drinking beet juice, nitric oxide levels in your body are raised which can increase blood flow, improve lung function and strengthen muscle contraction.

Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Hannah Miley has used Beet It Sport as part of her swim nutrition plan.

400m IM specialist Miley, a three-time Olympian who has also won European and World titles, is a big advocate of incorporating fresh fruit and vegetables into any sports nutrition plan.

"I like using Beet It because its natural based and easy to take," said Miley. "It helps aid my recovery, which allows me to push harder in training and racing.

"I love adding it to smoothies and pancakes, and finding alternative or creative ways to drink and eat it!"

Miley revealed her three top tips when coming up with a swimming nutrition plan:

• Nothing beats fresh fruit and vegetables
• Don't feel like you have to cut out foods. Replace them with a healthier alternative and maybe give yourself a day where you can treat yourself – I avoid fad diets!
• Refuelling post training is just as important as fuelling up before training

How does beet juice improve sports performance?

Concentrated beetroot juice is widely considered the most palatable way to consume the optimum dose of dietary nitrate.

The increased nitric oxide levels in your body help to open up blood vessels, which increases blood flow and feeds your working muscles with more oxygen.

A 2009 study into the benefits of consuming dietary nitrate via beet juice reported a 5% reduction in oxygen cost of exercise and a 16% improvement in time to exhaustion when compared to using blackcurrant cordial.

What is Beet It Sport?

Beet It Sport provides a daily dose of beetroot juice concentrate in a small pocked-sized 7cl shot bottle, or a larger 250ml which contains seven servings.

Beet It Shots contain a minimum of 400mg in natural nitrate per shot. This consumption target can also be reached by having two Beet It Sport Flapjacks.

How often should I take Beet It Sport as part of my sports nutrition plan?

The recommended Beet It Sport dose is to take 1-2 shots anywhere between one and three hours before exercise.

Nitrate oxide levels are shown to remain elevated for up to six hours, and then return to standard levels anywhere between 12 and 24 hours after consumption.

For athletes planning on long periods of exercise, they can 'top up' with a Beet It Sport flapjack which will provide 200mg of nitrate as well as 24g of slow-release carbohydrates.

What is the best way to take Beet It juice?

Beet It Sport Shots definitely taste different to the usual energy gels and sports drinks!

The small shots are literally just a mouthful, but there are other ways to take them if you really can't stand the taste of beetroot.

The Beet It Sport Flapjack combines the taste with oat flakes, raisin, apple extract and sunflower oil. These are also good options for prolonged exercise.

However, you can also try mixing your shots into smoothies, porridge, yoghurt or muesli.

Here are three top tips on how to enjoy Beet It Sport as part of your nutrition plan: 

• Break a Beet It Flapjack into your porridge or yogurt for a nitrate-rich breakfast
• Mix a serving of Nitrate 3000 into smoothies
• Take a Beet It Flapjack during longer training sessions for slow-release energy and a nitrate top-up