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As a Registered Dietitian, I love talking about the benefits of beets for everyone. Not only are they beautiful root vegetables, but they pack a punch of nutrition!

Specifically, the beets benefits for runners can’t be beaten. Beets are such a powerhouse for endurance athletes and hopefully, this post will nudge you to eat more of them!

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Be straight up with me – do you like beets? Because if you don’t, you’re missing out! 

Beets are all the rage right now – are you aware of all the things you can do with them? Plus, they fit perfectly into a vegan diet for runners. 

From red velvety baked goods to beet smoothies to burgers, beets are becoming quite the versatile little guys (or gals).

They are also pretty delicious. 

Beets Nutrition Facts

Here are some nutrition facts related to beets.

• Beets belong to the same Chenopod family, as well as quinoa, spinach and chard.
• Beets can be consumed in many ways, such as baked, roasted, grilled, pickled, and even juiced into beetroot juice!
• 1 cup of beets provides about 3 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and just 75 calories
• Beetroot is high in micronutrients, like folate, iron, manganese, copper, potassium, and B Vitamins.
• 1 cup of beets gives you almost 10% of your iron needs. But try to pair it with Vitamin C, like citrus or peppers, to enhance its absorption! 
• Because of their impact on vasodilation, beets are known to help improve blood pressure. They may also impact other cardio-metabolic measures, like heart health.
• The dietary nitrates in beets is what leads to the vasodilation (allowing the blood vessels to dilate and relax so blood better passes through).
• Beets offer the potential to increase the efficiency of mitochondria in supplying energy in and to your cells, which becomes important during endurance exercise.
• Some research even points to beets having many anti-cancer benefits, mostly thanks to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules.
• Also, by helping to reduce blood pressure, beets (and other dietary nitrates) could help prevent atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Of course, this would require including a variety of fruits, vegetables and antioxidants in our diets, but beets are a great way to start. 

I used to be intimidated by beets – especially the canned ones. Like, what the heck do you do with them? Eat them straight out of the can? And they looked so “rooty” in real life in the grocery store – I was totally intimidated.

But there really is no reason to be intimidated because cooking with beets and including them in your routine is so so easy and nutritionally sound.

And you’ll be exposed to the beautiful, soft, velvety texture and flavors that beets provide.

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Beets Benefits for Runners

Here are some of the beetroot benefits for runners.

Beets have these awesome phytonutrients called betalains, which have antioxidant properties. This means they can decrease inflammation and provide detoxification in our bodies (Source).

For all you RUNNERS, beets and beet juice also have nitrates (not like the preservatives or those in hotdogs), which bacteria in our body use and manufacture to make nitrite and nitric oxide.

Nitrite and nitric oxide can help enhance the flow of oxygen through blood vessels and reduce the amount of oxygen our muscles need.

Basically, we need less energy to perform the same amount of exercise (Source and Source). This is also the case for proper dosage of caffeine before running, too. 

So, think if you’re training for a marathon, this could be very advantageous when your glycogen stores start to limit.

The nitrates, by widening the blood vessels, also help to lower blood pressure (good for all of us!), and some studies say beet juice may even increase speed.

How Soon Before Exercise Should You Eat Beets?

Since blood nitrate levels peak after about 2-3 hours, it’s best to eat beets 2-3 hours before competition (Source). However, levels probably stay elevated for another 6-9 hours before declining.

So, if you can, eat shortly before the competition to ensure maximum potential!

One study noted a 5% increase in speed in the final mile of a 5k for runners who took beetroot before the race, versus those who just took a cranberry placebo. 

All of us could really benefit from adding more beets into our diets, like through this beet and butternut squash salad.

You don’t just have to eat them out of the can or roasted to incorporate beets into your diet; beets are SO VERSATILE. Allow me introduce you to some drool-worthy recipes.

Aside from deliciousness and nutrients, the beets provide a beautiful color palate for these recipes. If you want to impress (and offer the best health!) to your guests, you should probably include beets. 

Easy Beet Recipes

Beetroot Risotto Via Strength and Sunshine

Vegan Beet Blueberry Muffins via Love Me Feed Me

Beet Goat Cheese Avocado Sandwich (a delicious plant based sandwich!)

Berry Beet Smoothie Via Emilie Eats

Almond Butter Beet Salad Via Fooduzzi

Root Vegetable Hash Via Passports and Pancakes

Beetballs Via Clean Green Simple

Chocolate Beetroot Doughnuts Via Vegan Insanity 

Vegan Antioxidant Power Bowl 

Beet, Goat Cheese and Honey Tart Via How Sweet It Is

Beet Lemonade via Foodie Crush

Or, how about Beet Pasta via A Beautiful Mess

What’s your favorite way to incorporate beets?