Welcome to our weekly summary of the latest research updates from the world of sports nutrition. 

Train hard!

 

Beet Juice Improved Recovery in Volleyball Players 

 

Our thoughts: Research on beet juice and recovery is still in its infancy. What we like about this study is that it focuses on a specific athletic group.

Beta-alanine Improve Combat Sport Performance Across the Board 

 

This Spanish meta-analysis pooled the data from 7 studies on beta-alanine in combat sports athletes. The researchers found that the supplement significantly improved performance parameters related to strength, power, total exercise work capacity, and combat-specific factors in combat athletes. Additionally, carnosine levels increased significantly, supporting the conclusion that β-alanine could be a safe and effective nutritional ergogenic aid for enhancing sports performance in these types of athletes.

Our thoughts: Combat sports are very high intensity with athletes generating lactic acid at a high rate. The few more seconds of muscular endurance that beta-alanine can provide could provide big benefits on the competition floor  

 

And Finally... Using Wrist Wraps in CrossFit Doesn't Increase Your Actual Grip Strength

 

We were all wondering... and now we know. This study looked at the impact of wearing wrist wraps on CrossFit athlete wrist strength. A total of 54 people participated making it clear that no, your wrist wraps don't help your grip. Hook grip on the other hand... (pun intended)

Our thoughts: Not sure we needed a study to make this conclusion