If you want a lot of nitrate from beetroot, powdered supplements pack more punch than drinks or juices — you get way more nitrate in a smaller amount of powder.

Not all beetroot drinks for athletes are the same—some, like powders, have way more nitrate than others, like juices or mixed drinks, which means how they’re made changes how strong they are.

Not all beetroot supplements have the same amount of nitrate—some have so little that they probably won’t do anything noticeable for your body, like improve blood flow or exercise performance.

Not all beetroot juices sold to athletes have the same amount of nitrate — some have barely any, while others have a lot. Only five brands consistently give you enough nitrate (at least 5 mmol) to possibly help with athletic performance.

Not all beetroot juice drinks for athletes have the same amount of nitrate—some have barely any, others have way more—so if you buy one hoping for a certain boost, you might be totally off unless you test it yourself.

If you buy the same brand of beetroot juice twice, the amount of nitrate can be wildly different between bottles—even if they look identical—because the company isn’t making it the same way every time.