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At the 2026 Winter Olympics, a compact green shot has become an unexpected staple for endurance athletes, raising questions about whether a vegetable-derived supplement could reshape sports nutrition. The sudden interest in broccoli concentrate matters because it signals a potential shift in what elite competitors—and soon recreational athletes—might use to manage fatigue and improve recovery.
Reported by The Wall Street Journal, the product at the center of the buzz is made by Swedish startup Nomio, which markets a 60 milliliter shot distilled from broccoli sprouts. Nordic skiers and other endurance competitors at the Games say they’re using it to blunt the muscle “burn” that comes with high-intensity exertion, a development that could ripple through the wider supplement market.
What the makers say and why athletes care
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Nomio points to concentrated levels of plant compounds known as isothiocyanates (ITCs), which the company claims help lower blood lactate during intense efforts. Lower lactate is often associated with reduced muscle discomfort and the ability to sustain harder work for longer—valuable outcomes for events measured in long distances or steep climbs.
The drink’s co‑founder, Emil Sjölander, told the WSJ that the flavor is oddly vegetal—think of wood and Dijon mustard—hardly a reason to sip it for pleasure. Instead, athletes are trying it for the potential performance effect rather than taste.
Scientific backing and limits
Nomio’s product is linked to research from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences—institutions that have previously investigated dietary strategies such as beetroot for endurance gains. The startup says there are clinical studies supporting its formulation, and a handful of high‑profile endurance athletes have publicly endorsed it.
Still, scientists caution that evidence remains limited. Small trials can show promising signals, but they don’t always hold up in larger, independent research. The psychological boost athletes may get from a new tool—the placebo effect—can be powerful and is difficult to disentangle from true physiological benefit without broader testing.
- Product: 60 mL broccoli-sprout concentrate shot
- Claimed mechanism: high levels of isothiocyanates (ITCs) that may reduce blood lactate
- Endorsements: some elite endurance athletes and Nordic skiers
- Research: early clinical studies, but limited and not yet definitive
- Price: about $7 per shot (roughly $28 for a four-pack)
- Taste: described as vegetal, mustard-like—used for effect, not flavor
For everyday gym-goers and amateur athletes, the immediate takeaway is pragmatic: the supplement is generating elite-level interest, but it’s not a proven game-changer yet. At current retail prices, the cost adds up quickly, and a DIY alternative—processing several heads of broccoli—remains an option, though untested at the concentrated levels Nomio provides.
Why this trend matters beyond the podium
If the broccoli shot proves reproducible in larger studies, manufacturers and marketers will likely push similar plant-based concentrates into mainstream sports nutrition. That shift could alter what supplements are stocked in fitness centers and how recreational athletes plan pre‑competition fueling.
Even without definitive proof, the episode is a reminder that nutrition science is a moving target. New compounds move from lab to elite practice to commercial shelves rapidly, and consumers should weigh early enthusiasm against evidence and cost.
For now, the green shot is worth watching: it represents a novel approach to managing exertion and a cautionary case of how quickly a niche product can gain traction at the highest levels of sport.
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