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In a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, trained cyclists taking the beetroot formula in Humann Sport rode 18% longer before exhaustion, completed roughly one additional high-intensity interval, and covered 2.6 more kilometers than on placebo. Lactate threshold power rose 7.2%.1
The clinical study results below are based on cyclists who used the beetroot powder formula in Humann Sport. Humann Sport is Humann’s third generation Sport product formerly known as SuperBeets Sport or BeetElite. It is sold today as SPORT Pre-Workout Powder.
Why did Humann study Humann Sport in HIIT cyclists?
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 beetroot powder formula in Humann 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 patented nitric oxide technology behind the formula was born out of the University of Texas and inspired by Nobel Prize winning science.
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.1
How was the Humann Sport HIIT study designed?
Dr. Broeder ran a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial in trained cyclists: the same riders completed the protocol both on the supplement and on placebo, so each person served as their own control.1 Dr. Broeder designed a randomized, double-blind, crossover, matched pair to test the effectiveness of the beetroot powder formula in Humann Sport (formerly SuperBeets® Sport and 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 increase production of nitric oxixe, 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 and now Humann Sport.
“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 Humann 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. Work intervals were set at 50% above each rider’s functional threshold power, so the intensity scaled to the individual rather than to a fixed wattage.1
What do the study’s key terms mean?
What is a matched pair study?
In a matched pair design, the same participants complete the trial on both the placebo and the supplement, rather than being split into two separate groups. That allows a direct within-person comparison of how the supplement affects each participant.
What is lactate threshold?
Lactate threshold is the exercise intensity at which lactate accumulates in the blood faster than the body can clear it. In this study, lactate threshold rose 7.2% on the Humann Sport formula.
What is 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”.
Why study cycling specifically?
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.
Why focus on lactate threshold?
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.
Why does better oxygen delivery let you train longer?
Recovering more completely between hard intervals lets you start the next one fresher, which is what extends total work. 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 published trial offers a more specific mechanism: riders on the supplement hit the same power targets at a higher cadence and lower absolute torque, during both the work and the rest periods. That in turn improved how quickly muscle oxygen saturation recovered between intervals, and time to fatigue tracked closely with how far muscle oxygen saturation fell during the work segment.1
What were the measured results?
The result is that study participants taking the beetroot powder formula in Humann Sport were able to (on average):
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Complete an extra interval
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Cycle an extra 2.6km
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Exercise 18% longer
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Raise lactate threshold 7.2%
Plus, they pedaled 2% quicker and averaged 2 kilometers per hour faster than when taking the placebo.
What this means for anyone taking the beetroot formula in Humann Sport, is when you’re exercising, you can workout harder, go farther, do more work, and recover faster.
Frequently asked questions
Has the Humann Sport HIIT study been published?
Yes. The trial was published in 2021 in Current Research in Physiology as an open-access paper (Broeder et al.), so the full methods, results and competing-interests statement can be read without a subscription.
How much longer did cyclists ride on Humann Sport?
Trained cyclists rode 18% longer before reaching exhaustion on the Humann Sport beetroot formula than on placebo — 1,474 seconds versus 1,251 seconds — and covered 2.6 more kilometers, 13.5 km against 10.9 km.
Did Humann Sport change lactate threshold?
Yes. Lactate threshold is the exercise intensity at which lactate accumulates faster than the body clears it. In this trial, lactate threshold increased 7.2% on the Humann Sport formula.
Does Humann Sport contain caffeine?
No. Humann Sport, sold as SPORT Pre-Workout Powder, is a non-stimulant pre-workout powder and contains no caffeine.
Who funded the Humann Sport study?
Humann funded the trial. Co-author Dr. John Ivy, PhD, chairs Humann’s Science Advisory Board, which the paper discloses in its competing-interests statement. The full text is openly available.
Source
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Broeder CE, Flores V, Julian B, Wojan F, Tauber R, Schubert L, Salacinski A, Ivy JL. Nitric oxide enhancement supplement containing beet nitrite and nitrate benefits high intensity cycle interval training. Current Research in Physiology. 2021;4:183–191. doi:10.1016/j.crphys.2021.07.002