You wouldn't think that the two most influential products of 2026 would come from plain old veggies. Here are the products leading the charge on performance gains and what you should know about them.
Quick question: what do you think are the two hottest performance products this year?
Not a new gel. Not some clever caffeine delivery system. Beets and broccoli. I know exactly how that sounds, but stay with me, because the science here is some of the most interesting I've seen all year, and both come in a format I've completely fallen for: the grab-and-go shot.
Everyone wants to know which one "wins", but once you understand what each is actually doing, you'll see they're not even in the same race. They attack your performance from two totally different angles, which is the whole reason this is so fun.
Let me break down both.
In one corner: Beets (Amacx Beet Shot)
What it is: A small, ready-to-drink shot from Dutch brand Amacx, packing 500mg of nitrates. That's a lot of nitrates.
How it works: Your body turns those dietary nitrates into nitric oxide, which opens up your blood vessels so more oxygen-rich blood reaches your working muscles. More oxygen delivered means you can hold a harder effort with less strain. It's the blood-flow play.
When to take it: 2-3 hours before your workout for peak nitric oxide. Even better as a daily habit, the benefits build the more consistent you are.
What it does for you: More efficient oxygen delivery, so you ride or run faster at the same cost.
What it tastes like: This is the part that shocked me. Beet products have always tasted like, well, beets. A punch in the face first thing in the morning. This one doesn't. It's juice-like, not thick, just a hint of beet. I actually sip it. By far the best-tasting beet product I've found anywhere.
One insider tip that matters: no mouthwash. Nitrates rely on the natural bacteria in your mouth to convert into nitric oxide, and mouthwash wipes that bacteria out for hours. Skip it on beet days, or you're flushing the benefit.
In the other corner: Broccoli (Nomio)
What it is: 6½ pounds of broccoli sprouts (yes, pounds) condensed into a single 60ml shot from Sweden. World Champion cyclist Mads Pedersen credits it for a career-best performance, and David Roche is on it daily.
How it works: Broccoli sprouts are loaded with compounds called isothiocyanates, which flip on your body's Nrf2 pathway, think of it as the master switch for your cellular stress defense. Once it's on, your body clears fatigue-causing byproducts faster, ramps up its antioxidant defenses, and protects your muscle cells under strain. It's the cellular-defense play.
When to take it: One shot 3 hours before a hard session or race. In heavy training blocks, add one before bed. That's when the recovery and adaptation benefits really show up.
What it does for you: In double-blind studies, athletes saw 12% less blood lactate at the same workload and 10% lower oxidative stress during exercise. In plain terms: your legs hurt less on hard efforts, and you recover faster after. I also treat it as the real green drink. Forget the green powders, nothing comes close to this much actual broccoli in one shot.
What it tastes like: Lemon-based, so you get only a faint broccoli note. Coming from a guy who doesn't love eating his greens, I like it. One quick shot and my greens for the day are done.
So… who wins?
The honest answer: it's a trick question. They're on the same team.
Beets get more oxygen to your engine. Broccoli protects the engine and clears the exhaust. One is delivery, the other is defense. They don't overlap, they stack. Run the beet shot before your hard sessions for the blood-flow boost, and use Nomio to blunt the lactate and recover faster afterward. Two shots, two pathways, one faster athlete.
Veggies to go faster. I'm fully here for it. And the fact that both come as a ready-to-drink shot you can toss in your bag? That's the kind of simple I love.
Oh, hey, you know what's even easier? Buy this pack and get 4 servings of each. Get the dynamic duo that will change your game.
