A serious workout routine needs a serious diet along with it. Your body requires lots of nutrients to keep up with the amount of energy you use to burn those calories and build your muscles, and beetroots can help with that.
I’ve always been a fitness buff since high school. Inheriting great genes and having parents who have lead a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives is something I appreciate. It isn’t a necessary factor towards getting the muscled body you’ve always wanted, but it helped!
As a fitness coach and gym instructor, I have to be the ideal representation that hard work and a healthy diet will get you in shape. Most people resort to steroids for quick results, but ultimately, it is unsafe. Wouldn’t you rather put in the effort and watch your body transform without any form of ‘shortcuts’? I know I did, and it is satisfying to say the least.
Bodybuilding lessons aside, nutrition is a major part of the entire process. I am always looking for a variety of natural foods and drinks to get the nutrients that my body requires. Fortunately, I ran into this little vegetable.
Why the Beet?
Beet juice has been trending for a while. This small root is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin C and B9, iron, and manganese – and these are just the main minerals and vitamins.
What caught my attention the most was that they could lower your blood pressure. Bodybuilding is tough, and it can easily strain and stress your mind and body. Don’t forget your heart will be working overtime as well. Research shows that the beets increase your nitrate levels, dilating your blood vessels.
The dilation is what helps you as a bodybuilder. Once blood flow throughout your body (especially to your muscle tissue) improves, your performance is improved. As little as 100g of beet juice in a day is enough to increase your nitric oxide levels.
Beets don’t just boost the muscles below your neck. Studies reveal that the increase in blood flow gets to your brain – in a good way, of course. The frontal lobe in your brain is responsible for your problem-solving capabilities. Increased blood flow in this area helps you work your mental muscle. Hopefully, you can make even better decisions than you usually do!
There are many ways you can introduce beets in your diet. My personal favorites include grating beetsin my (vegetable or fruit) salads and blending or juicing them for my pre-workout smoothies and juices.
Conclusion
If you are starting on your bodybuilding journey, it can feel a little overwhelming deciding on the perfect diet to accompany the workouts. The safest bet? Talk to your doctor or nutritionist to figure out which nutrients you need the most. Sure, all-natural foods are healthy, but you have to find the specific ones that suit your regimen the most, and at what levels. It is easy to get caught up in all the hype and all the ads on what you should or shouldn’t do.
