A highly concentrated all-natural sport nutrition product has been introduced to Bermuda by two business partners who believe it will assist the Island’s sportspeople improve their training and racing potential.

And the benefits are not restricted to those engaged in sports, there can also be benefits linked to lowering blood pressure.

The special ingredient in the Beet It products is juice from the humble beetroot.

Beetroot juice is high in natural dietary nitrate, which increases nitric oxide in the blood and in turn causes the blood vessels to open wider. Because of the resulting increased blood flow there is greater transportation of oxygen around the body.

The Beet It pro-elite shot is a 70ml bottle that contains 98 per cent beetroot juice concentrate and 2 per cent lemon juice. It is the equivalent to drinking two 500ml bottles of non-concentrated beetroot juice, explained Heather Roque.

Ms Roque and business partner Jahan Cedenio are behind Beet It Bermuda, the on-Island distributors for the products, which are produced in the UK and Australia.

Ms Roque is a competitive road cyclist and first came across the beetroot juice phenomenon 3½ years ago when she was recommended it by nutritionist Anne Guzman, who has been a consultant for pro-cycling teams and national champions up to Olympic team level in Canada.

“She recognised the benefits it gave cyclists, reducing the recovery time they needed,” said Ms Roque.

During her second season using the beet juice she was achieving “personal best after personal best”.

She said: “You can sustain higher power for longer.”

Similarly, Mr Cedenio, a member of the Bermuda national rugby team, noticed improvements when he followed the suggestion of friends to try the juice.

“I was in the UK and I noticed the product. I took some and later was playing basketball and I was just running and running the whole game. I thought all that running that must have been part of the benefit of the juice,” he said.

Mr Cedenio gave it to a few friends to try. He said: “It is very big with professional rugby players and footballers in the UK. This is a product that really works, there is research out there that backs it up.”

He added: “It is one of those products that speaks for itself. If you try it you will see the benefit.”

Allaying concerns that it might be a prohibited nutritional boost for athletes, Beet It products bear the logo of Informed-Sport.com, which is a certification programme by one of the world’s leading sports doping control laboratories, the UK-accredited LCG. The programme conducts tests on products to ensure they are free from all prohibited substances and are manufactured in accordance with good practices.

Beet It products were not available in Bermuda until Ms Roque and Mr Cedenio teamed up to act as distributors to bring them the Island.

In Hamilton, the Beet It products are now available at Winner’s Edge, Down to Earth, Bicycle Works and Better Health.

The juice can be taken daily, and as close as 30 minutes to a training session or competition.

Ms Roque pointed out other health benefits from the juice. Research into dietary nitrate has shown it can assist in lowering blood pressure and increasing oxygenation through the body.

The original Beet It Organic shot is aimed at more general health conscious individuals and, as the name suggests, contains concentrated juice from organically grown beetroots.

There is also a Beet It pro-elite bar, which is a flapjack made from oats and with a concentrated blast of beetroot juice equal to that found in the Beet It pro-elite shot.

Since introducing the products to Bermuda, and making them available at sports events, the feedback has been encouraging, Ms Roque said.

Considering the Island’s sizeable sporting community, Mr Cedenio said it made good sense to bring the products to Bermuda, particularly if it helps some people train more effectively and gain a competitive edge, and also promote additional health benefits.

Ms Roque added: “There are a lot of international sports people here and sports is a year-round thing.”

The juice and flapjack bar sell for $5 each.

Beet It Bermuda has a Facebook page, where further details are available and a competition is planned to win a quantity of the Beet It products.

Beet It Bermuda can be contacted on e-mail at beetitbermuda@gmail.com