The betterave is a gentle and surprisingly concentrated source of nutrition.

Its bright red color indicates the presence of a large amount of powerful phytonutrients called betalains.

There are two categories of betalains: betacyanins, red to purple pigments, and betaxanthins, yellow to orange pigments.

Betalains are not only powerful antioxidants, but also have properties anti-inflammatory and detoxifying.

Recent studies report that, in addition, betterave improves muscle performance, something important for athletes, but also to ensure proper maintenance of muscle function that diminishes with age.

Nitrates naturally found in beets are thought to boost muscle health.

The betteraves are a natural source of nitrates converted, in our bodies, to nitric oxide (NO). This one is known for heart health, as indicated by Dr. Stephen Sinatra, cardiologist:

"Sufficient nitric oxide production is an essential step in the chain reactions that promote cardiovascular health,
while insufficient NO leads to heart disease in the not-so-distant future...Nitric oxide promotes the dilation of veins
and arteries, so that blood can flow properly through your body. In addition, it prevents red blood cells from sticking together,
thus fighting against the formation of dangerous clots."

The heart being, of course, a muscle, it makes sense that the increase in nitric oxide would also lead to improvements in the other muscles of the body.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in Missouri have already studied the improvement of muscle performance in elite athletes with dietary nitrates. They then wanted to determine if these nitrates could also benefit heart failure patients, whose weakened hearts make them prone to fatigue and shortness of breath from daily activities.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Linda R. Peterson, a professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, said in Medical News Today:

"Many of the activities of daily living are based on muscle power: getting up from a chair,
carrying groceries or climbing stairs. All of this has a major impact on the quality of life ...".

Beet juice can increase muscle power by 13 percent!

A study in which one group of participants with heart failure drank betterave juice containing natural nitrates and the other drank juice from which the nitrates were extracted shows that, 2 hours after consuming the drinkIn a recent study, people who drank the nitrate-containing juice had a 13 percent increase in knee muscle strength.

Andrew R. Coggan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine, said in Medical News Today:

"I like to compare the effect of beet juice to Popeye's spinach. This improvement is comparable to that seen in
people with heart failure who have done 2 to 3 months of resistance training. "

Previous research has also shown that betterave juice can increase endurance; those who consumed the drink before sports were able to exercise up to 16 percent longer.

This benefit is thought to be related to nitrates being converted to nitric oxide, which may reduce oxygen cost during low-intensity exercise as well as improve tolerance to high-intensity exercise.

A similar study found that drinking concentrated betterave juice increased nitric oxide production, as well as muscle speed and power in healthy men and women.