The latest food fad for fitness fanatics? It’s a shot of broccoli

There are numerous benefits to eating cruciferous vegetables – but scientists now think that they can also help with fitness. This is why.

Protein shakes and bicarbonate of soda are some of the more popular nutritional strategies to boost fitness, but the latest product claiming to power your workout is rather more surprising – and possibly an acquired taste. It’s a shot made from broccoli. Developed over seven years by scientists at the renowned Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the Swedish School of Sport and Health Science in Stockholm, the pre-exercise drink, made from nothing more than young broccoli shoots, lemon juice and sugar, has been shown in studies to stabilise blood sugar levels and to reduce the build-up of lactic acid in muscles, delaying fatigue and enhancing performance.

Marketed as Nomio and launched at the end of January, it has fans including Emile Cairess, an Olympian and Britain’s second fastest marathon runner; the Danish cycling world champion Mads Pedersen; and the Swedish runner Andreas Almgren, the European 5000m record holder. According to the scientists, the athlete George Mills, the son of the former England footballer Danny Mills who recently beat Sir Mo Farah’s benchmark to set a new British 5000m record, has also been testing the product.

Others using the drink include footballers, hockey players and triathletes as well as gymgoers, Hyrox competitors and a growing army of Saturday morning parkrunners looking to improve their times. But what’s the secret of how it works?

All cruciferous vegetables, from cabbage and broccoli to kale and brussels sprouts, contain isothiocyanates, organic compounds that interact with the body in a number of beneficial ways.

Broccoli shots – would you try one?

“Broader health benefits of isothiocyanates include their role in detoxifying air pollutants and improving symptoms in conditions such as autism spectrum disorder in young people,” says Filip Larsen, associate professor at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences and one of the researchers who developed Nomio.

“But we are the first scientists to show the fitness effects.”

In one of their studies two years ago, Larsen and his team asked healthy participants to perform hard interval training for a week at a time, performing five four-minute bike exercises at 90-95 per cent of maximum effort, sometimes followed by three or four 30-second sprints. During one week they were provided with two broccoli shots to be taken morning and evening and 2-3 hours before exercise and on the other a placebo drink.

Results published in Redox Biology showed that the broccoli led to less oxidative stress in the muscles, better blood-sugar control, lower lactic acid levels and overall improved performance. “It means people can handle hard training better,” Larsen says. “And it helps them to recover as fast as possible.”

He says the effects differ from other fitness supplements.

The theory behind bicarbonate of soda or beta-alanine supplements is that they help to buffer the effects of lactic acid by making sure the pH level of muscles doesn’t drop, enabling you to keep exercising for longer.

“Broccoli shoot isothiocyanates seem to prevent lactate from being formed in the first place,” he says.

“When combined with regular exercise that could have a big impact on performance.”

Jon Lundberg, professor of pharmacology at the Karolinska Institute, and another member of the development team, says the key ingredient of Nomio is the young broccoli shoots harvested just a few days after germination.

“The strain of young sprouts we use is unique as they contain enormous amounts of isothiocyanates,” he says.

“A single broccoli sprout contains the same number of isothiocyanates as a fully grown, mature broccoli plant.”

A single broccoli sprout has loads of isothiocyanates.

In the early days, Lundberg says he used to grow the sprouts in his garage, but now they are provided by a commercial Swedish sprout grower.

“They are harvested at the point when concentration of the beneficial compounds is at its peak,” he says.

“Normally these isothiocyanates degrade within hours, but we’ve developed a method to stabilise them in a liquid form.”

“The research paper providing the basis for the product claims certainly is exciting,” says Tom Brownlee, associate professor in applied sport sciences at the University of Birmingham.

“If we were able to optimally balance the impact of oxidative stress on adaptation, it could be really beneficial for pro athletes and weekend warriors alike.”

As with all newer areas of research, though, experts say greater evidence would be useful. “It seems it could allow you to tolerate a greater training load and gain greater training adaptations,” says the sports nutritionist Anita Bean, author of The Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition.

What does a broccoli shot taste like?

“As it’s made with natural ingredients it’s unlikely to produce harmful side-effects.”

Of course, the limiting factor is often taste. I’ve tried many fitness shots and found that bicarb products disagree with me while beetroot drinks have a decidedly earthy flavour.

Yet the Nomio tastes pleasant and left me with no stomach issues after trying it.

“We recommend taking it 2-3 hours before intense exercise,” Larsen says.

“And rather than using it daily, it has maximum benefit when reserved for periods of intense training or in the lead-up to races or competitions.”

They also suggest taking a shot an hour before bed – which is what I did – to aid overnight recovery.

Whether it helps me to run faster is yet to be seen. And at pounds 20 for four bottles – which are available from the website now and will be sold by independent retailers in the next few months – it doesn’t come cheap.

But, if nothing else, the placebo effect of being powered by broccoli like the elites might well put a much-needed spring in my step.

Originally published as The latest food fad for fitness fanatics? It’s a shot of broccoli