Groundbreaking athletic performance clinical study on SuperBeets®
The clinical study results below are based on cyclists who used the beet root powder formula in SuperBeets® Sport. SuperBeets® Sport is HumanN’s second generation Sport product and a new and improved version of BeetElite, HumanN’s first generation Sport product.
High intensity interval training (HIIT) is an effective way to complete a full workout in a half hour or less. Perfect for people strapped for time and weekend warriors alike, HIIT has become a popular way to overcome the difficulties of working out.
In a first of its kind study, Dr. Craig Broeder, Ph.D. FACSM, FNAASO, sought to determine how the beet root powder formula in SuperBeets® Sport affected key performance indicators during HIIT for cyclists.
Dr. Craig Broeder is a fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine and the Obesity Society for his research and professional contributions. He has tested and worked with professional and Olympic athletes in track and field, road cycling, triathlons, cycle-cross racing, and ultra-endurance cycling.
HumanN turned to Dr. Broeder for his expertise in cycling and creating sound, objective clinical trials. Though the study is specific to cyclists, Dr. Broeder believes the key takeaways can be applied to any HIIT activity — and the implications are significant for anyone exercising.
The Clinical Trial Results Showed Participants Could Recover Faster Between the High Intensity Intervals, Which Allowed Them to Work 18% Longer Overall and Improve Their Overall HIIT Performance.
THE METHOD
Dr. Broeder designed a randomized, double-blind, crossover, matched pair to test the effectiveness of the beet root powder formula in SuperBeets® Sport (formerly BeetElite®) versus placebo in high intensity interval training (HIIT).
BeetElite® was HumanN’s first-generation Sport product. Through its combination of beetroot and fermented beetroot formulation, it was able to produce high levels of nitric oxide, a miracle molecule that regulates cardiovascular functionality as well as fuels exercise efficiency and enhances energy. The formula in BeetElite has been retained in SuperBeets® Sport. This newer product also incorporates hydration functionality by including powdered organic coconut water in the product.
“Most studies will do a supplement vs. no supplement and have a 30-minute performance test. They may only look at 1 or 2 things. This study is really important because it allows the results to focus on how working in one area had an effect on another area because it’s all done in the same subject pool.”
– Dr. Craig Broeder on this first of its kind study
The participants completed an initial cycling assessment to get a baseline so the effects of the placebo and SuperBeets® Sport could accurately be compared.
It was also used to help scale the intensity of the intervals to each individual.
The actual test involved cycling at a high intensity for 75 seconds with a recovery phase of 2 minutes at 50% intensity. Blood lactate levels were measured every 5 minutes and watts generated by cycling were tracked throughout.
Some of the terms mentioned above are clarified below.
Key Terms Defined
Matched Pair
Most clinical trials test two different groups of people, a placebo group and an experimental group that takes the supplement.
In a matched pair t-test, the same participants complete the trial with the placebo and the supplement. This allows for a direct comparison of how the supplement affects the participant.
Lactate Threshold
Lactate threshold is the point where your body can no longer remove lactic acid quicker than it’s produced.
Lactic Acid
Lactic acid builds up in your muscles during strenuous exercise. When your muscles get deprived of oxygen, lactic acid is delivered to them to help prevent your muscles from getting damaged.
You know lactic acid is starting to build up when you feel “the burn”.
Q&A WITH DR. BROEDER
Q: Why cycling?
A: I’ve never seen up to this point if anybody has investigated how a beet supplement product can affect an individual’s performance (cycling) across all paradigms that make a cyclist great. I’ve been passionate about cycling for over 45 years, so I’m very familiar with all the paradigms that should be tested to determine how a beet supplement product works versus placebo.
Q: Why did you focus on lactate threshold?
A: I wanted to determine if the beet supplement could raise the lactate threshold value to help a person work at a slightly higher power output and not accumulate lactate. This would mean cyclists can maintain a faster pace for a given period of time OR higher lactate thresholds means they can recover faster, which then allows them to improve their HIIT performance. If they can recover faster and if you do it chronically, it will help improve the athlete’s HIIT performance.
EXPLAINING THE RESULTS
Pushing your muscles to the limit can help increase your fitness levels, but working in an oxygen-deprived state for a longer period of time can do more damage than good.
An oxygen-deprived state is called anaerobic (literally, without oxygen). HIIT is an example of anaerobic exercise with the goal of not only burning calories, but also helping increase your ability to exercise harder.
If you’re able to recover quicker during the recovery phases of HIIT, you’re able to use your oxygen more efficiently and can exercise for longer (and burn more calories).
We believe that by helping more oxygen to be delivered to muscles during exercise, this delays when lactic acid enters your muscles. When lactic acid finally goes into your muscles, the additional oxygen aids recovery.
The result is that study participants taking the beet root powder formula in SuperBeets® Sport were able to (on average):
- Complete an extra interval
- Cycle an extra 2.6km
- Exercise 18% longer
Plus, they pedaled 2% quicker and averaged 2 kilometers per hour faster than when taking the placebo.
What this means for anyone taking SuperBeets® Sport, is when you’re exercising, you can workout harder, go farther, do more work, and recover faster.
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Author: Dr. Craig Broeder of Exercising Nutritionally