Nitrates are found especially in green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, rocket, chard, arugula, lettuce, celery and root vegetables such as beetroot.
Those are absorbed in the intestines, are then concentrated at least 10 times in the saliva, and in the mouth are transformed into nitrites by bacteria that are located on the tongue.
Nitrites are then partially converted to Nitric Oxide (NO) which, as mentioned, is the main responsible for the effects of nitrate on metabolic functions.
In sports performance and especially in cycling, those studies, indicate that a correct intake of nitrates can reduce the cost of oxygen from 10 to 9 ml/min/watt.
This can lead to an improvement of 5/6% in the power generated in a time trial in a group of mid-level cyclists. This improvement is equal to 3 seconds per km in a TT of 30 minutes!
Nitric oxide (NO), also, enhances the efficiency of muscle contraction through a reduction in the cost of the actin-myosin interaction and an improvement in the efficiency of mitochondrial respiration.
In my opinion, there are two great nitrates supplements for cyclists: Beet It beetroot juice by James White and the VM03 from Lifecode.
The first one is a nitrate booster, especially useful before races, while the second one is a daily supplement that helps build up the actual level of nitrates in our system. This means that with the VM03, we not only have benefits in races but also during training sessions in which we can push our limits further, and gain the benefits of those sessions during races.
As a nitrate supplement, the Lifecode VM03 helps red blood cells and hemoglobin formations, lowering down the oxygen cost of exercise as well as being a source of iron.
Find out more about the Lifecode VM03 HERE.
Matteo Cigala
Founder & Head Coach
