Yes, vegetables are the foundation the rest of nutrition rests on, and athletes are as likely as anyone to fall short on them. SaladPower is a convenient way for active people to get their vegetables, and it carries a couple of nutrients that happen to matter under high physical demand. It is not a pre-workout, a protein shake, or a performance supplement, and it does not pretend to be.
The nutrients active people tend to watch
Two of SaladPower's stronger numbers are relevant to training. Each pouch is an excellent source of iron, at 5 mg or 30% of the Daily Value, and iron carries the oxygen working muscles depend on; active people, and endurance athletes in particular, are a group in which low iron is common. Each pouch also provides 727 mg of potassium, 15% of the Daily Value, one of the minerals lost in sweat. These support normal function, and they are not a substitute for a sports dietitian's plan.
On iron specifically, the concern is well characterised in the sports nutrition literature rather than being a marketing invention. A narrative review of iron considerations for athletes described the mechanisms that push athletes toward compromised iron status, exercise-induced elevations in hepcidin that transiently suppress iron absorption, foot-strike haemolysis, sweat and gastrointestinal losses, and noted that female and endurance athletes are at particular risk (Sim et al., 2019, European Journal of Applied Physiology). Iron status is a blood test, not a guess, and it belongs in a conversation with a physician rather than being self-diagnosed from a symptom list.
Potassium is a simpler story. Sweat losses vary enormously between individuals and conditions; a review of sweat composition methodology reported wide intra- and inter-individual variability even under standardised conditions, which is why blanket electrolyte prescriptions tend to be wrong for most people (Baker, 2017, Sports Medicine). Vegetables are a routine dietary source of potassium. They are not a rehydration strategy.
What about dietary nitrate and leafy greens?
This is the part of vegetable science that athletes actually ask about, and it deserves a careful answer rather than an enthusiastic one.
Certain vegetables, leafy greens and beetroot in particular, are naturally high in inorganic nitrate, which the body can reduce to nitrite and then to nitric oxide. A systematic review and meta-analysis of nitrate supplementation trials found a small but statistically significant ergogenic effect on exercise performance overall, with effects varying substantially by exercise modality, dose, and the training status of the participants (Senefeld et al., 2020, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise). Reviews of the mechanism have described reductions in the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise as the most consistently observed effect (Jones, 2014, Sports Medicine).
Here is the necessary caveat, and it is not a small one. That literature is built almost entirely on concentrated beetroot juice shots or sodium nitrate delivered at standardised doses, typically in the region of 6-8 mmol of nitrate, taken on a defined schedule before exercise. It is not a study of ordinary vegetable servings, and SaladPower is not a nitrate supplement, is not dosed for that purpose, and makes no performance claim. If dietary nitrate is something you want to use as a training intervention, that is a conversation for a sports dietitian working from the supplementation protocols in the research.
What is fair to say is that leafy greens are among the food groups that carry nitrate naturally. The classification below reflects the ranges reported in the food-composition literature on nitrate in vegetables (Hord, Tang & Bryan, 2009, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition). Values vary widely with cultivar, season, soil, and fertiliser practice.
| Nitrate content band | Approximate range (mg per 100 g fresh weight) | Representative vegetables |
|---|---|---|
| Very high | Above 250 | Rocket, spinach, lettuce, celery, beetroot, radish |
| High | 100-250 | Chinese cabbage, endive, fennel, kohlrabi, leek, parsley |
| Middling | 50-100 | Cabbage, dill, turnip, savoy cabbage |
| Low | 20-50 | Broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, cucumber, pumpkin |
| Very low | Below 20 | Asparagus, garlic, onion, mushroom, pea, pepper, potato, tomato |
Spinach sits in the top band; broccoli and carrot sit near the bottom. That is a statement about vegetables, not about a pouch.
Do polyphenols help with recovery?
Recovery nutrition is one of the busiest and least settled corners of sports science, and the honest summary is that the evidence is mixed and the effect sizes are modest.
A comprehensive review of nutritional interventions for exercise-induced muscle damage organised the available strategies explicitly by the quality of evidence supporting them, placing some approaches in a well-supported tier and consigning many popular ones to a category with little to no evidence of efficacy (Bongiovanni et al., 2020, European Journal of Applied Physiology). A separate review focused on fruit-derived polyphenols found that certain polyphenol-rich foods, most consistently tart cherry, have been associated with improved recovery markers in some trials, while noting substantial heterogeneity in dose, timing, and outcome measures (Bowtell & Kelly, 2019, Sports Medicine).
Vegetables and fruit contain polyphenols. That is a compositional fact. It does not follow that any particular vegetable product accelerates recovery, and SaladPower makes no such claim.
Does eating more vegetables matter for training at all?
Indirectly, and over a longer horizon than a single session. Reviewing the relationship between physical activity and immune function, Nieman and Wentz described how the acute and chronic effects of exercise interact with nutritional status, and noted that adequate overall dietary quality is a prerequisite for the immune benefits of regular activity rather than an optional extra (Nieman & Wentz, 2019, Journal of Sport and Health Sciences). Across general populations, higher fruit and vegetable intake is associated with lower all-cause mortality in dose-response fashion up to roughly 800 g per day (Aune et al., 2017, International Journal of Epidemiology).
None of that is a performance claim. It is the unglamorous background condition that makes everything else you do in the kitchen worth doing.
Food, nutrient, ingredient
Spinach and kale are leafy greens, and leafy greens carry non-heme iron, vitamin K, and inorganic nitrate; spinach and kale are two of SaladPower's six ingredients. Carrots are a root vegetable, and orange root vegetables carry beta-carotene, a vitamin A precursor; carrot is the third. Lemon is a citrus fruit, and citrus carries ascorbic acid, which the absorption literature identifies as the strongest dietary enhancer of non-heme iron uptake; lemon is the sixth. Each 8 oz pouch contains 5 mg of iron (30% DV), 727 mg of potassium (15% DV), 100% DV vitamin A, 20% DV vitamin C, and 5 g of fiber, at 90 calories. Those are the contents. The research cited above describes vegetables and nutrients, not the effects of this or any product.
Where it fits in a training diet
Think of SaladPower as the vegetable base of an athlete's diet, the part most easily skipped while you are busy fueling around workouts. It pairs naturally with the protein you already prioritize, adds no caffeine and no added sugar, and travels to the gym or the trailhead without refrigeration. It complements how you fuel rather than replacing any of it.
What it is not: a carbohydrate source for fueling long sessions, a protein source for recovery, an electrolyte replacement drink, or an energy product. At 90 calories it will not fuel anything, and it is not intended to. The pouch is the vegetable box on the checklist, ticked in about thirty seconds.
When should I drink it around training?
There is no timing protocol here, because there is nothing to time. Unlike carbohydrate, protein, caffeine, or nitrate supplementation, all of which have windows that matter, vegetables are a daily-total proposition. Most people fit it wherever it is least likely to be forgotten, which for many is with breakfast or on the commute rather than in the hour around a session. Fiber immediately before a hard session is a personal-tolerance question; some athletes prefer to keep the pre-workout window low-residue.
Is it worth it for someone who is active but not competitive?
Often more so, in practice. Competitive athletes tend to have structured nutrition and, frequently, professional guidance. The recreationally active, the five-days-a-week gym regular, the weekend cyclist, the person training for a first half marathon around a full-time job, are the group whose vegetable intake most reliably loses out to a busy week. The evidence-based supplement literature is candid that only a short list of supplements has robust support, and that the fundamentals of overall diet come first (Peeling et al., 2018, International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism). Vegetables are firmly in the fundamentals.
Weighing this against other situations in your life or household? See Who Is SaladPower For? →
Frequently asked questions
Is SaladPower a pre-workout or a protein shake? No. It is whole vegetables, meant to complement your training diet, not a performance supplement or a protein source. It contains no meaningful protein and 90 calories.
Why is iron relevant for athletes? SaladPower is an excellent source of iron (5 mg, 30% DV), and iron carries oxygen to working muscles. Compromised iron status is comparatively common among athletes, especially female and endurance athletes, for reasons including exercise-induced hepcidin elevation and sweat and gastrointestinal losses (Sim et al., 2019, European Journal of Applied Physiology). Iron status should be assessed by blood test with a physician, not self-diagnosed.
Does it contain caffeine or added sugar? No to both. It is caffeine-free with no added sugar.
Is this a beetroot-style nitrate supplement? No. Spinach is naturally high in nitrate as a food, but the ergogenic nitrate literature uses concentrated supplements at standardised doses on defined pre-exercise schedules (Senefeld et al., 2020, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise). SaladPower is not dosed or intended for that purpose and makes no performance claim.
Will it help me recover faster? No claim is made. The recovery-nutrition evidence base is mixed, with many popular interventions falling into the low-evidence tier in systematic reviews (Bongiovanni et al., 2020, European Journal of Applied Physiology).
When should I drink it relative to a workout? Whenever you will actually remember. Vegetables are a daily-total matter, not a timed intervention. If fiber before hard sessions bothers you, move it away from that window.
Does it replace electrolyte drinks? No. It supplies 727 mg of potassium as a food, but it is not formulated as a rehydration or electrolyte replacement product, and sweat losses vary widely between individuals (Baker, 2017, Sports Medicine).
Does it need refrigeration at the gym or on the trail? Not until opened. It is shelf-stable in a bag, and refrigerated after opening.
Sources
- SaladPower Nutrition Facts. Per 8 oz pouch: 90 calories, iron 5 mg (30% DV), potassium 727 mg (15% DV), vitamin A 100% DV, vitamin C 20% DV, 5 g fiber; no caffeine, no added sugar; six whole organic ingredients. Accessed July 2026. https://www.saladpower.com/products/saladpower
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (oxygen transport; athletes and iron status). https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
- Sim M, Garvican-Lewis LA, Cox GR, et al. "Iron considerations for the athlete: a narrative review." European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2019;119(7):1463-1478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04157-y
- Senefeld JW, Wiggins CC, Regimbal RJ, Dominelli PB, Baker SE, Joyner MJ. "Ergogenic Effect of Nitrate Supplementation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2020;52(10):2250-2261. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002363
- Jones AM. "Dietary nitrate supplementation and exercise performance." Sports Medicine. 2014;44(Suppl 1):S35, S45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0149-y
- Hord NG, Tang Y, Bryan NS. "Food sources of nitrates and nitrites: the physiologic context for potential health benefits." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009;90(1):1-10. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2008.27131
- Bongiovanni T, Genovesi F, Nemmer M, Carling C, Alberti G, Howatson G. "Nutritional interventions for reducing the signs and symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage and accelerate recovery in athletes." European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2020;120(9):1965-1996. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04432-3
- Bowtell J, Kelly V. "Fruit-Derived Polyphenol Supplementation for Athlete Recovery and Performance." Sports Medicine. 2019;49(Suppl 1):3-23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0998-x
- Peeling P, Binnie MJ, Goods PSR, Sim M, Burke LM. "Evidence-Based Supplements for the Enhancement of Athletic Performance." International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2018;28(2):178-187. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0343
- Baker LB. "Sweating Rate and Sweat Sodium Concentration in Athletes: A Review of Methodology and Intra/Interindividual Variability." Sports Medicine. 2017;47(Suppl 1):111-128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0691-5
- Nieman DC, Wentz LM. "The compelling link between physical activity and the body's defense system." Journal of Sport and Health Sciences. 2019;8(3):201-217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2018.09.009
- Aune D, Giovannucci E, Boffetta P, et al. "Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality." International Journal of Epidemiology. 2017;46(3):1029-1056. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw319
This article is general educational information about vegetables and nutrition research. It is not medical or sports-nutrition advice, and nothing here is a claim that any product improves performance, speeds recovery, or prevents, treats, or cures any condition. Iron status requires blood testing and physician oversight. Consult a physician or accredited sports dietitian for individual guidance.
Fuel the vegetables into your training. Drink Your Vegetables.®
Try SaladPower →These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
