Olympic Athletes Swear by This Broccoli Shot

At the Milan Cortina Olympics, you’d think that athletes would go for a smoothie or a protein shake as their go-to snack to boost their performance. Instead, the Winter Olympians are going for a not-so-tasty trend: broccoli shots. 

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I love broccoli. It’s great roasted with garlic and butter, in pasta, and in soup. But I can’t say that a broccoli shot sounds appealing, so why are some of the world’s most renowned athletes swearing by this veggie drink?

This isn’t your average juice shot. 

The mysterious broccoli-based beverage is made by Nomio, a Swedish company that uses a high dose of isothiocyanates (ITC), which naturally boost athletes’ performance by activating NRF2, which regulates our stress system. Studies have found that ITCs reduce lactate buildup during intense workouts, enhance training signals to increase mitochondrial production, and accelerate post-exercise recovery. 

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, each Nomio shot contains about 6 pounds of broccoli in liquid form, with a focus on nutrition rather than taste. 

What is the broccoli shot made of?

It’s 80 percent broccoli sprout extracts, 15 percent lemon, and 5 percent sugar. 

What does the broccoli shot taste like?

As Emil Sjölander, one of the founders of Nomio, told WSJ, the product was made “because it works, not because it tastes good.” He described the flavor as “some combination of wood and Dijon mustard,” which, while it doesn’t sound appetizing, isn’t the worst description for a fitness drink. 

Does the broccoli shot actually work?

That’s still debatable. Reviews featured on Nomio’s site say that it cut down the recovery time post-workout and was ultimately beneficial, and Olympic skiers like Emil Iversen and Einar Hedegart swear by it. However, some are being cautiously optimistic about the wonder shot. “There’s bio-plausibility, meaning there’s been enough research where it is now a legitimate hypothesis,” Steve Magness, author of numerous athlete performance books and running coach, told WSJ.