NutritionFacts.org

Caffeine has positive cognitive and physiological effects at moderate doses.

In the context of a healthy plant-based diet, the nitrates in vegetables can safely be converted into nitric oxide, which can boost athletic performance and may help prevent heart disease.

Phytonutrients such as vitamin C prevent the formation of nitrosamines from nitrites, which explains why adding nitrite preservatives to processed meat can be harmful, but adding more vegetables and their nitrite-forming nitrates to our diet can be helpful.

To understand how beets could reduce the oxygen cost of exercise while improving athletic performance, one must review the biochemistry of energy production (ATP synthase) and the body’s conversion of nitrates to nitrites into nitric oxide.

Beets found to significantly improve athletic performance while reducing oxygen needs, upsetting a fundamental tenet of sports physiology.