A bizarre new trend has emerged at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with athletes turning to concentrated broccoli juice in a bid to enhance performance. The supplement, marketed by Swedish company Nomio, is claimed to lower blood lactate levels during intense exercise, helping athletes delay the onset of muscle fatigue.
Cross-country skiing has been particularly transfixed by the juice, which is also popular among elite long-distance runners. Olympic champions such as Norway's Einar Hedegart and Emil Iversen have endorsed the product, with Hedegart noting the number of good races and hard sessions he has had while using it. Iversen believes it aids recovery during the brief downhill sections in cross-country skiing.
The juice is produced by processing six pounds of broccoli into a concentrated shot, with a small amount of lemon and sugar to improve the taste, which has been described as 'a combination of wood and Dijon mustard'. Nomio co-founder Emil Sjölander states: 'We sell it because it works, not because it tastes good.'
Scientific backing comes from eight years of research by the Swedish School of Sport and Health Science and the Karolinska Institute. However, performance coach Steve Magness cautions that while there is bio-plausibility, only a handful of studies have been conducted. Some maintain the effects may be partly due to a placebo effect.
The supplement joins other legal aids such as sodium bicarbonate, beetroot juice, and caffeine in the cocktail used by endurance athletes. Cyclist Mads Pederson attributes breakthrough performances to the juice, reporting improved power output and faster recovery.
