Research reveals new secret weapon for Tour de France: Beetroot juice

Winning margins in the Tour de France can be tight. Now there could be a new, completely legal and rather surprising weapon in the armory for riders aiming to shave vital seconds off their time -- beetroot juice. Research in the UK has shown drinking the juice enables competitive-level cyclists to cut down the time it takes to ride a given distance. This is the first study which has shown that beetroot juice can be effective in a simulated competition environment.

energetics fitness