Determined to surpass that performance in the competition in 2010, Carver added extras to their preparation: beet juice (beet).
Carver won the test conducted in August and attributed the triumph to which he drank the dark purple liquid every day for a week before the race
"The only thing different I did this year was to make beet juice," said the professional racer. The athlete is 46 years old and live near Leeds in northern England.
Carver said that thanks to the beet juice, improved strength and this year achieved 12.8 kilometers (eight miles) would have increased further as their training. According
the athlete to achieve the greatest distance without taking beet juice would have needed to exercise all year round.
According to experts, adding beet juice to the diet (or other foods like cherry juice or milk), can increase physical performance to levels above those that would result if the training were increased blood , sweat and tears.
In two studies in the University of Exeter with 15 cyclists, Stephen Bailey and his colleagues found that those who drank a pint (half a quart) of beet juice several hours before the start of the test 20% traveled distance who had received placebo blackcurrant juice.
By analyzing with a scan of the energy expended when a muscle contracts, the researchers found that with beet juice (beet) cyclists consumed less oxygen when exercising. " beet juice was effective (for resistance) even without any extra training " said Bailey. " reduces the energy expenditure of the muscles and therefore more resistance."
The manufacturer of the beet juice provided free of charge and paid the University of Exeter research.
athletic benefits of beet juice due to its high content of nitrate , Bailey said.
Scientists do not know precisely how it works but speculate that an increase in the body _ a nitric oxide derivative of nitrato_, reduce oxygen consumption during exercise.
Bailey said the same effect would be possible if you increase the intake of nitrate-rich foods such as lettuce and spinach.