A study was just published showing how three months of soccer practice twice per week significantly reduced blood pressure, resting heart rate and percent body fat in inactive men with high blood pressure.  This experiment pointed out that playing a sport like soccer was just as effective as a doctor’s prescribing diet, resistance training and aerobics like running to lower blood pressure.

The project leader of the soccer experiment, Peter Krstrup, Professor at University of Copenhagen, said “Our research shows that soccer is a versatile and intense form of exercise that provides a positive effect on cardiovascular risk factors in a large group of untrained adult men and women,” and continues: “Based on the results, soccer can be recommended as part of the treatment for high blood pressure and as broad-spectred prevention of cardiovascular diseases.”

The researchers concluded that when you play soccer your pulse remains high and you perform multiple sprints which results in not only cardiovascular strength but muscular strength, as well.

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Studies have shown that drinking two cups of beet juice per day can lower blood pressure. Other studies have shown that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can lower blood pressure due to the high amounts of antioxidants and potassium found in fruits and vegetables.  But this research from Barts and The London School of Medicine have discovered that the nitrates found in beet juice and leafy green vegetables might be more important than antioxidants for lowering blood pressure.

Professor Ahluwalia from the William Harvey Research Institute found that blood pressure was reduced within one hour of drinking 500 milliliters (2 cups) of organic beet juice with the greatest decrease in pressure after 2.5 to 3 hours. The beet juice continued to have a positive effect for 24 hours. Ahluwalia said, “ Our research suggests that drinking beet juice, or consuming other nitrate-rich vegetables, might be a simple way to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, and might also be an additional approach that one could take in the modern day battle against rising blood pressure”.

If you want some further information about nitrates and beet juice check out Is Beet Juice the Next Super Food?

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Best – Mike

Fitness Contrarian