Purple Power Smoothie

This deep purple smoothie gets its color and nutritional punch from a combination of cooked beetroot and frozen mixed berries. The banana adds natural sweetness and a thick, creamy texture, while a scoop of vanilla whey pushes the protein to 24g per serving. It blends up in under a minute and is one of the most nutrient-dense things you can drink before or after a run.

Why Beetroot Matters for Runners

Beetroot has become one of the most studied foods in endurance sports. It is naturally high in nitrates, which your body converts to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to working muscles, and research has shown that regular beetroot consumption can improve running economy and time-to-exhaustion in trained athletes. Adding it to a smoothie is one of the easiest ways to work it into your diet consistently.

When to Drink It

With 53g of carbohydrates and 24g of protein, this smoothie works well as a post-run recovery drink. The fast-digesting carbs from fruit help replenish glycogen stores quickly, and the whey protein kicks off muscle repair. If you prefer to drink it before a run, give yourself at least 45 minutes to an hour to digest since the fiber from the berries and beetroot can sit heavy in your stomach during hard efforts.

You can prep the beetroot ahead of time by roasting or boiling a few at the start of the week and keeping them in the fridge. Vacuum-packed pre-cooked beetroot from the grocery store also works perfectly and saves time.