Olympic athletes spend years training to shave seconds off their best time and edge out the competition.
And when they finally make it to the podium, rarely do you hear a moniker of triumph go beyond hard work and long hours.
Athletes earn their stripes in sweat and determination, which is why we pay attention when a new supplement gains momentous acclaim from the world’s best competitors.
Starting in 2012, murmurs of beet juice were growing as a training staple amongst Olympic Village residents.1 Results get noticed and this year beet juice has gotten outright endorsements from members of Team USA and the International Olympic Committee.2
Long-term health and peak performance are equally important to today’s athletes, making humble beet juice every podium chaser’s elixir of choice.
Beets deserve high praise for being one of the most nutrient dense, versatile, and affordable vegetables.
Although, in raw form they’re a mess to make and some dislike its soil-laden flavor profile, so the ease and enjoyment of a concentrated, beet crystal powder is surely behind the newfound popularity.
Beets pack high doses of dietary nitrates, which are mostly found in soil and utilized by plants to maximize oxygen and nutrient uptake.
Dietary nitrates apply the same process to our bodies by increasing available oxygen and nutrients to vital organs, lowering stress on the heart and enhancing peak cardio and muscle response in the process.3, 4
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The Science of Performance
Here’s how it works: the body converts nitrates into a gas molecule called Nitric Oxide, NO allows blood vessels to relax and widen or ‘vasodilate’.
Wider blood vessels means less stress on the heart and lungs to push oxygenated blood through the bloodstream.
Circulating Nitric Oxide carries oxygen more efficiently into vital organs, increasing available energy and relieving fatigue.5
It’s this simple and direct mechanism that amplifies results for those who compete to break records.
When we exercise, our muscle tissue is undergoing aerobic respiration, using circulating oxygen to sustain activity, burn calories, and produce energy.
When exercise intensifies, oxygen gets used faster and leads to fatigue, much like a cheetah can only run at top speed for 15 second bursts. It’s a natural intake-output that our bodies naturally regulate.
The only factor that can challenge that given rate of exchange is an increase in available oxygen and that’s exactly what nitrates do.5
Achieving top performance without experiencing fatigue is what most athletes call feeling ‘in the zone’, and with nitrates, your zone is abundant.
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Studies To Support Sports
A slew of clinical studies have confirmed what many are experiencing with a concentrated, beetroot pre-workout supplement. Researchers at the University of Essex studied the effects of 16oz of beet juice in competitive cyclists before biking and noted they were able to ride 16% longer past their average exhaustion time.
The effects of beet juice on Nitric Oxide production also compound when regularly consumed. One study showed that cyclists drinking 16oz of beet juice over a six-day period were a towering 45 seconds faster on a 10-mile course by the end of the week.6
For elite athletes, these numbers are astounding because we assume that they’re already utilizing their full cardiovascular potential, but with improved ‘oxygen economy’ from Nitric Oxide, endurance boosts are accessible at any stage of athletic proficiency.
A study population of self-described “recreationally active” participants tested the effects of beet juice on resistance and strength-building exercises. Using a double-blind, randomized study design, those who were given beet juice prior to the interval training exercises showed significant differences in their prior and post total repetitions to exhaustion and max weight lifted.
The Origins of Organic Energy
Beetroot are the wunderkind we love though because they do more than just increase vasodilation for stamina and strength.
Beets are a dense, hearty vegetable packed with additional nutrients like Beta Alanine. This amino acid is an expert at slowing the production of lactic acid, a natural byproduct of exercise and the primary cause of stiff, sore muscles. It also equally contributes to carnosine production, a strong promoter of muscle growth that keeps Nitric Oxide in circulation, securing the most optimal benefits of any aerobic or resistance exercise.7
Relative to their heart shape and ability to even bleed red, beets are an especially heart-smart food due to antioxidants called Betalains. These potent antioxidants seek out free radicals to eliminate inflammation with 4x’s the reparative power of Vitamin C. Restoring the lining of hardworking blood vessels and destroying plaque buildup is equally important to a strong cardiovascular system as the oxygen-rich blood it’s pumping.8
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Nitric Oxide production has many measurable benefits, but it also solves a major problem most aren’t even aware of: during exercise, skeletal muscle demands freshly oxygenated blood and rapidly depletes the brain’s supply. This makes brain fog and mental fatigue a common side effect during and post-workout.
With Nitric Oxide and vasodilation making exercise a more efficient task, your brain is able to remain a steady recipient of blood flow.9
Nitric Oxide is a game-changer for a body in motion and that becomes especially important as we age. The body naturally produces less Nitric Oxide after 40, an age that happens to coincide with an increased risk of several cardiovascular diseases. Maintaining healthy blood pressure is one of the best ways to avoid chronic conditions and medication dependency.10
The American Heart Association tested the effects of beet juice on blood pressure and noted balancing blood pressure within an hour, significant differences in 3 hours, and a maintained effect 24 hours later. Researchers were able to correlate the stabilized blood pressure numbers with an increased presence of Nitric Oxide in the bloodstream.
This study is only one of many that demonstrate the powerful relationship between Nitric Oxide and blood flow. For many consistent adopters, their balanced blood pressure becomes sustained and no longer requires certain medications.
Elevating Athletes To New Heights
The fitness industry is rapidly making changes to favor a total-body, health-forward approach in energy boosting pre-workout supplements. Consumers want a product that is beneficial for the long-term, as well as that day’s gym goals.
Life-long athletes are turning to beetroot crystals for natural vasodilation that sustains energy output and avoids cheap chemical combustions and crashes. Fitness enthusiasts and athletes today want uncomplicated ingredients, verified results, and the peace of mind that their heart is also getting stronger.
It’s not just in fitness, or wellness either, everything in society is trimming down, becoming more efficient and encompassing. ‘Work smarter, not harder’ consumers are demanding logical products and Snap’s Nitric Oxide Organic Beets Preworkout is one of the best ways to embody that mantra.
Exercise is still the best choice for a healthy body and an even better choice is honing in on the miracle molecule Nitric Oxide that beetroot does it best. The penultimate goals of disease prevention, revived stamina, and enhanced muscle gain have finally led us to a declaration of the true performance supplement: a humble beet shining bright.
