Beetroot juice is naturally rich in dietary nitrates which has been shown to aid athletic performance in endurance events and repeated high intensity efforts such as sprinting in team sports like rugby, football and hockey. Unfortunately concentrated beetroot juice tends to have a very strong taste which can put some people off using it - the beetroot in Powr Plant bars is balanced with other flavours to give a delicious tasting bar.

Sports physiology research has demonstrated nitrates can improve sporting performance by elevating blood nitric oxide levels which then can reduce the oxygen cost of exercise by around 3% (Larsen et al, 2011). In other words the same muscular ‘work’ uses less oxygen, or more work can be done with a given oxygen consumption - muscles contract faster or stronger to run or cycle faster!

Dose response studies have shown a 140ml serving of beetroot juice (8.4mmol equating to around 520mg nitrate ) increased nitrate plasma concentration and significantly improved exercise performance. The oxygen cost of steady-state exercise was reduced by 1.7% and time to task failure was improved by an average of 14% compared with a placebo.

"1) For the performance-driven we recommend 1 - 2 bars daily for 3 days before you compete; this is because dietary nitrates have been shown to boost blood nitrite levels and aid performance. Another bar around 2-3 hours before competition will keep blood nitrite at peak levels. Read more about the importance of nitrates for athletes here. 2) Secondly, POW® plant energy bars can also make a healthy snack bar as part of your daily life for example when you need a quick snack after work and before you train. They’re also the perfect tasty snack between main meals throughout the day or when you want a light snack before a morning run. 3) The beetroot POW® Plant bars are endurance energy bars, so they’re perfect for eating out on a longer ride, run or hike - anytime you need to keep your energy topped up. VOOM ambassadors have used them to great effect as part of their strategy during ultra-running events, triathlons and even around climbing competitions."