Beet Juice Boosts Muscle Power

Yes, more news about the benefits of beet juice. This time, it comes from researchers at Washington University, who found that drinking concentrated beet juice — which is high in nitrates — increases muscle power in patients with heart failure. A Wash U news release reports that the researchers studied nine patients with heart failure, who, two hours after drinking concentrated beet juice, demonstrated a 13 percent increase in power in muscles that extend the knee. The researchers saw the most substantial benefit when the muscles moved at the highest velocities, and noted that the increase in muscle performance was significant in quick, power-based actions. They saw no improvements in performance during longer tests that measure muscle fatigue. With the growing evidence of a positive effect from dietary nitrates in healthy people, elite athletes and now heart failure patients, the researchers also are interested in studying dietary nitrates in elderly populations.  “One problem in aging is the muscles get weaker, slower and less powerful,” said study co-author Andrew R. Coggan​. “Beyond a certain age, people lose about 1 percent per year of their muscle function. If we can boost muscle power like we did in this study, that could provide a significant benefit to older individuals.”