Endurance Athlete's Secret Weapon

Possibly the most under appreciated ingredient in Beta Red Pre-Workout Performance Formula is Betaine, so we thought we’d share what it is and why it’s so awesome for endurance athletes. 

Betaine is an amino acid that got its name because it was discovered in beet root (it’s the main nitrogenous component in sugar beets). Betaine is also found, albeit in lesser amounts, in many other healthy foods, such as whole grains, spinach, and avocados.   

Betaine works with electrolytes to maintain fluid balance and thus play a key role in protecting cells against dehydration. One significant study on betaine involving male runners training in a hot environment found that betaine supplementation improved plasma volume, oxygen consumption, plasma lactate concentration, and thermal sensation. In laymen’s terms this means the runners were better hydrated, able to do more work, and less sensitive to training in the heat while supplementing with betaine. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18438230)

Another important benefit of betaine to endurance athletes is that it is cardio protective – meaning it protects the heart. Betaine converts homocysteine – high levels of which are a risk factor for heart and blood vessel disease – to L-methionine, which is a powerful antioxidant. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3610948/)

Other research has shown that betaine supplementation helped improve cycling sprint performance (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22471891) and muscle endurance when performing squats (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19250531.

Athletes who train in the heat, or otherwise sweat heavily, may require more betaine as research shows that significant amounts of it can be lost along with sodium and potassium through sweat. (https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-7-3)

In summary, betaine helps you stay hydrated, allows you to better tolerate training in the heat, protects your heart, and improves performance.

Stay tuned for more on the other ingredients in Beta Red Pre-Workout Performance Formula. And as always, if you have any questions, please reach out to us at info@endurobites.com.