The active component is isothiocyanates (ITCs). These are chemicals found in broccoli, which Nomio\u2019s own clinical research say prime the body to better manage physical stress and reduce blood lactate (which can otherwise limit exercise at a certain threshold).<\/p>\n
Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek, the former road world champion and 2026 Tour de France green jersey winner, is the biggest name known to be using ITCs in training and racing.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287739989.jpg\")
The marauding Mads Pedersen helped himself to his first green jersey at the Tour de France this summer. Getty Images<\/p>\n
However, broccoli is far from the first food from the natural kingdom that\u2019s been used to promote performance and recovery. Here, we round up some of the most popular.<\/p>\n
Tart cherry juice
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Tart cherry juice is ubiquitous in the peloton. Getty Images<\/p>\n
Tart cherry juice continues to be used throughout the racing world, with seemingly the entire peloton chugging back a bottle of the red stuff on the finish line of stage races, in particular.<\/p>\n
On finishing on the podium of a Grand Tour for the first time, at the 2025 Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a, Tom Pidcock was asked what he was looking forward to. <\/p>\n
\u201cNot having to drink cherry juice,\u201d he replied, referring to one of a litany of post-stage protocols that were clearly grating after 21 days of racing.<\/p>\n
So, it\u2019s not every rider\u2019s favourite thing to drink, but the fact everyone downs it counts for a lot. Since the early 2000s, it\u2019s been known for its anti-inflammatory properties.<\/p>\n
Anthocyanins (the antioxidant that gives the cherry its red colour), which are abundant in the Montmorency tart cherry variety, can help recovery by reducing muscle soreness and getting them working properly faster. This is why cherry juice is mostly used right at the end of a stage in anticipation of the next. <\/p>\n
Tart cherry juice\u2019s effects on endurance athletes have been well-studied this century, as well as the ways it can help the general population.<\/p>\n
A review in 2021 that looked at 14 studies found the \u201cconsumption of a [tart cherry juice] supplement can aid aspects of recovery from strenuous exercise\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sticking to recovery, it also contains melatonin, the hormone that helps to regulate sleep. If you have insomnia, melatonin medication might be prescribed, but here it\u2019s produced naturally.<\/p>\n
Researchers at Northumbria University discovered, in 2010, that the juice improved marathon runners\u2019 muscle recovery after intense exercise. <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2164647981.jpg\")
Dylan van Baarle sinks a bottle of cherry juice after the Olympic road race in 2024. Getty Images<\/p>\n
The same team found it can relieve rheumatological symptoms of osteoarthritis and gout. All this positive noise around tart cherry juice means it doesn\u2019t come cheap, but it\u2019s no more expensive than many sports nutrition products, with some being more fiscally prudent than others.<\/p>\n
A 1l bottle of British brand Active Edge\u2019s CherryActive costs \u00a335. That works out at just over \u00a31 a serving, each of which contains the antioxidant equivalent of 23 pieces of fruit or vegetables.<\/p>\n
Beetroot juice
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Pros will drink beetroot at breakfast to prime them for a big effort. Getty Images<\/p>\n
While studies into the potential benefits of beetroot juice started at a similar time to those into tart cherry juice, it enjoyed an earlier surge of popularity in high-performance circles. <\/p>\n
Like a broccoli sprout shot, it\u2019s used more as a pre-workout primer (up to 150 minutes before your workout) to improve performance.<\/p>\n
The nitrates in beetroot are converted to nitric oxide (NO) in the body. Studies have shown that this naturally occurring substance increases blood flow and reduces the oxygen cost of exercise, which means that athletes can work harder for longer.<\/p>\n
Professor Andy Jones and his team at the University of Exeter have been leading research into beetroot\u2019s effects on exercise. <\/p>\n
In 2009, they found 0.5l of beetroot juice per day for three days resulted in a 16% increase in time to exhaustion during high-intensity exercise.<\/p>\n
Around five years later, they found two concentrated 70ml shots was the optimal amount to enhance performance, with the bloodstream peak coming at two to three hours.<\/p>\n
In 2017, a review of 23 studies into the effects of beetroot juice on endurance found it improves cardiorespiratory efficiency, increases time to exhaustion under maximum intensity and may improve performance at maximal intensities.<\/p>\n
Alongside caffeine<\/a>, nitrate has been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a natural, legal performance enhancer.<\/p>\n Others supplements to keep an eye out for are: creatine<\/a> \u2013 a compound found in the human body that muscles use to help produce the fastest energy source; sodium bicarbonate<\/a> \u2013 a byproduct of metabolism that improves performance by buffering muscle acidity; and beta-alanine \u2013 an amino acid for buffering acid in short, hard efforts of one to three minutes.<\/p>\n British firm Beet It Sport supplied Jones and his team at Exeter with the beetroot juice for their studies. Their Nitrate 400 shot (70ml) costs \u00a328 for a pack of 15.<\/p>\n Just make sure you avoid antibacterial mouthwash when taking Beet It shots, because it kills the process of converting nitrates to nitric oxide.<\/p>\n Pickle juice Rather than swigging large amounts of juice either before or after exercise, pickle juice\u2019s benefits are tapped into when you\u2019re suffering from cramp.<\/p>\n This is when a muscle tightens because it\u2019s been working too hard, often in the same position for a long time, and with a loss of electrolytes<\/a>, such as sodium and potassium, through sweat.<\/p>\n The ensuing pain typically comes on suddenly and can be debilitating. Because cramp strikes so quickly and with such force, an equally fast remedy is called for.<\/p>\n
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To fix a bout of cramp, Pogacar was spotted taking a bottle of pickle juice from his team car during the 2025 Paris-Roubaix, where he finished second. Getty Images<\/p>\n