Drink This To Run Faster

Spike your drink with cactus juice for a speed and fitness boost

Cactus juice is a succulent addition to your nutrition

THERE’S A NEW SPORTS DRINK IN TOWN: cactus juice. It seems regularly drinking just 150ml of this prickly customer can make you both faster and fitter, according to new research.

The study, conducted by the Tunisian National Centre of Medicine and Sports in Science, found that a daily intake of cactus juice led to impressive aerobic improvements over a two-week period. At the end of the study, the 22 test subjects were able to run further and found exercise easier. In addition, their VO2 max – the maximum rate at which your heart and muscles can effectively use oxygen during exercise – had increased, while drinking cactus juice also seemed to decrease the muscle damage caused by endurance exercise. Furthermore, the juice works as an antioxidant, rounding up pesky free radicals. With cactus juice available from most supermarkets, maybe it’s time you added some succulence to your drinks.