from Frontiers in Physiology
Popeye may have been ahead of his time by
eating spinach to improve his body
performance. Researchers in Belgium found
nitrate supplements along with short, but
intense exercise enhances muscle
composition. Nitrate is commonly found in
leafy green foods, like spinach, and is
important for body function. The researchers
wrote in the journal Frontiers in Physiology
that the improved muscle composition among
participants in just five weeks was
unexpected. The benefit of nitrate
supplements was accompanied by intense
exercise in an atmosphere of limited oxygen,
but the researchers want to learn whether
adding nitrate-rich vegetables to regular
sports diets will result in similar long-term
benefits in exercise performance.