How Much Beet Juice Is Too Much?
The jury is still out on dosage guidelines for nitrates and beta-alanine, but here are recommendations from two top nutritionists
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BEET JUICE
Allen Lim Says: “Beet juice is 100 percent natural, and there are nutritional benefits beyond the nitrates, like antioxidants. I’ve seen some of the best real-world performances from athletes who make it part of their diet.”
Dosage: Eight ounces (two juiced beets) three times a week. Blend with eight ounces of sweeter fruit juices, like apple, carrot, or tangerine, to improve the taste.
BETA-ALANINE
Stacy Sims Says: “The immediate benefit of beta-alanine is that it increases carnosine, and higher carnosine levels have been shown to improve performance by helping to buffer acidosis and increase nitric oxide.”
Dosage: Three to six grams orally per day (about four PowerBar beta-alanine tablets) for four to eight weeks. The most dramatic increases will occur in weeks three and four, but carnosine levels can remain elevated for months, so cycle in beta-alanine every 12 weeks to maximize effectiveness.
