Welcome to my weekly summary of the latest research from the world of sports science!
Juices, gels, and gear—what’s actually worth your time? This week’s roundup highlights the endurance and recovery benefits of beetroot and tart cherry juice, what compression socks can do for recovery, and whether or not topical gels can improve performance in elite athletes—read on.
Juice Supplementation: Which Ones Have Real Performance Benefits?
This systematic review looked at 50 studies on five common fruit and vegetable juices in sports nutrition—beetroot, pomegranate, tart cherry, watermelon, and pickle juice—and how they affect athletic performance and recovery. Nitrate-rich beetroot juice showed consistent improvements in oxygen use and efficiency, as well as endurance performance, while tart cherry and pomegranate juice reduced muscle soreness and inflammation when taken for several days around exercise. Watermelon juice offered some antioxidant and recovery benefits but mixed performance results, and pickle juice showed little reliable benefit. While natural juices have a place in sports nutrition, only beetroot, tart cherry, and pomegranate juice showed promise.
My thoughts: Fruit and vegetables should be a staple in your diet as an athlete. Not only are they nutritionally dense, but they also have properties that could enhance your performance. This study gives you an overview of the science on the juices on the market—notably beetroot and cherry juice, as found in our Beet It Sport Nitrate 400, Top Up 100 energy gels, and Regen Cherry+. Want to try them all? Check out our Beet It Bundle for comprehensive performance support before, during, and after your training.
Compression Socks Don’t Improve Performance, but They Can Support Recovery
This study tested whether or not compression tights actually influence how muscles rebuild and recover after resistance exercise. Twenty-five active men and women completed a heavy leg press workout, then wore either compression tights or regular clothing for five hours during their recovery. The results showed no benefits—compression didn’t improve muscle protein synthesis signals, blood flow, performance, or recovery scores. That said, broader research suggests compression may still have value: endurance runners often report less soreness with compression stockings even without performance improvements, and some studies show that wearing higher-pressure garments for longer periods (24–96 hours) can bring small but consistent improvements in strength and fatigue recovery. In short, compression gear won’t give you an instant edge, but longer wear and higher pressure might still help recovery between sessions.
My thoughts: This one is interesting… Compression socks might not improve your performance, but they feel great regardless of what the research shows. So, I'll still take the opportunity to use them whenever I get the chance!
Topical Carnosine Gels Increase Sprint Power and High-Intensity Exercise
This study tested a topical gel containing carnosine—the same lactic acid-buffering compound formed in your muscles when you take beta-alanine—to see if it could improve repeated high-intensity sprint efforts. Seven world-class rugby sevens players applied either the carnosine gel or a placebo before completing 12 short sprints. When using the carnosine gel, athletes’ peak power was significantly higher in several early sprint bouts, up to +10% higher, while average power, heart rate, and perceived effort didn’t change.
My thoughts: I’ve always been sceptical about topical lotions and gels for things like muscle soreness or cramping, so this study’s findings came as a big surprise. Carnosine is what beta-alanine is turned into in the muscle, and it’s what buffers lactic acid, which is responsible for that burning sensation you feel during high-intensity efforts. How it crosses the skin barrier is a mystery to me, but if it does, this is basically Beta Alanine in a lotion—without the tingles, too!
That’s all for this week! If you learned something new and are curious to know more, head over to the Blonyx Blog or my growing list of weekly research summaries where I help you further improve your athletic performance by keeping you up to date on the latest findings from the world of sports science.
– Train hard!
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