More commonly found in the Slavic soup borscht, a salad, or the corner shop hamburger, the humble beetroot may soon become a regular part of athletes’ protein shakes after research from the University of South Australia (UniSA) found it can enhance sporting performance.
Conducting a meta-analysis of 118 studies from 25 countries, the team evaluated the performance effects of foods thought to benefit aerobic performance and found that beetroot, grapes, sour cherries, and pine bark extract boost endurance exercise performance through improving nitric oxide availability in the body.
