There is a moment, in every hard training session, when your legs fill up and your pace starts to slip. That moment has a precise name: lactate. For years, endurance athletes have been looking for ways to manage it, and one of the most recent answers comes from an unexpected place: broccoli sprouts. It’s called Nomio, and it’s the shot that runners, cyclists, and triathletes all over the world are talking about.

What is Nomio

Nomio is a natural sports formula designed for endurance athletes, to be used when performance really counts. It originated in Sweden and comes as a 60 ml shot to be consumed about three hours before the most intense training sessions and races. The ingredients are completely natural, no preparation is needed, and the effect is noticeable from the very first use. The brand’s summary puts it well: like super shoes, but in a bottle.

It is no coincidence that it has quickly become one of the most talked-about products in the world of endurance sports. It is used by Olympic champions, record holders, and advanced amateurs in running, cycling, triathlon, and beyond. And, as the company itself explains, the benefit tends to consolidate with consistency: the more you integrate it into weeks of intense training, the more you get out of it.

How Nomio works: isothiocyanates and the Nrf2 system

The active ingredient in Nomio is isothiocyanates, or ITCs, natural compounds formed in broccoli sprouts that are rich in glucosinolates, which have been studied since the 1990s. The point is that ITCs are highly reactive and short-lived, so consuming significant amounts through diet alone is difficult. Each Nomio shot provides a bioavailable form, equivalent to the isothiocyanates contained in about 2.5 to 3 kilos of raw broccoli.

The most studied mechanism is the activation of the Nrf2 system, the regulator of antioxidant enzymes produced by the body. Research suggests that Nrf2 helps maintain redox balance during intense exertion, precisely when heavy training tends to put pressure on these pathways and slow down adaptations. It is in this area that ITCs have become a topic of great interest for sports science.

Practically speaking, studies conducted by the Nomio team observed two things. The first concerns lactate: a single dose taken before exercise was associated with a shift in the blood lactate curve at submaximal intensity, with a reduction in accumulation of around 12% compared to the placebo. The second concerns adaptations: by taking ITCs during an intense training program, participants showed faster improvements compared to the placebo. An interesting detail is that the effective dose follows a U-shaped curve, and the optimal amount corresponds exactly to the content of a single shot.

A decade of research behind a bottle

When Nomio speaks of a decade of clinical studies, it is not an empty slogan. Behind the product are over eight years of research and development conducted at the Karolinska Institutet and the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, the GIH. The group that studies isothiocyanates was born at the Karolinska from the same line of research that, years earlier, led to the discovery of the benefits of nitrate and beetroot juice in sports, today among the few supplements with solid scientific foundations. The most complex challenge was not proving that ITCs worked, but managing to stabilize the compounds, which are notoriously fragile, to concentrate them into a ready-to-drink bottle. The formula is currently patent pending.

How it differs from buffers like bicarbonate

Those who have been running or cycling for a few years are familiar with buffers used to manage lactate, starting with sodium bicarbonate. Nomio follows a different path. It is not a buffer, it does not require loading protocols, and it works from the very first intake. Furthermore, it is designed to be gentle on the stomach, a detail anyone who has had intestinal issues during a race knows can make a big difference. Practically speaking, it has an eight-month shelf life in the refrigerator and remains stable for several weeks at room temperature, so it can travel in your backpack or gym bag until the start line. Regarding clean sport, the company states that it subjects the product to regular testing for a range of banned substances and has included it on the Kölner Liste.

Ingredients and nutritional values

The ingredient list is very short: broccoli sprout extract (80%), lemon (15%), and a small amount of sugar (5%). Nothing else.

Every 100 ml provides approximately 27 kcal (113 kJ), with 6.7 g of carbohydrates, of which 6.1 g are sugars, and just 4.8 mg of sodium.

How and when to take Nomio

The right time is about three hours before training sessions or races where you really want to push yourself. No preparation is needed: just drink the shot and continue with your routine. Nomio is not intended for indiscriminate daily use. The company recommends taking it only ahead of demanding sessions and competitions, not on easy or rest days, roughly one to four times per week. On the hardest days, it is possible to add a second shot about an hour before going to sleep. The product is not indicated for children or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Frequently asked questions about Nomio

How do you use Nomio?

The company’s recommendation is to take it three hours before intense sessions or races. On particularly demanding days, you can add a second shot an hour before sleep. Many professional athletes use it one to four times per week, only ahead of hard training and not on easy or rest days.

Does Nomio really reduce lactate?

According to the manufacturer's research, at submaximal intensity, a single dose of isothiocyanates was associated with a shift in the lactate curve, with a reduction in accumulation of around 12% compared to the placebo. The studies are still on small samples, but they point in this direction.

What does Nomio contain?

Only three natural ingredients: broccoli sprout extract (80%), lemon (15%), and a small amount of sugar (5%), with no stimulants or additives.

How should Nomio be stored?

It has a shelf life of eight months if stored in the refrigerator and remains stable for several weeks at room temperature, making it easy to carry with you to training or when traveling.

Who is Nomio for?

It is designed for endurance sports like running, trail, cycling, triathlon, and cross-country skiing, and has proven useful for athletes of almost all levels, with a more marked effect in elite athletes. It is not indicated for children or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Try Nomio

If you want to discover what broccoli sprouts can do for your endurance, you can find Nomio in a four-shot pack on our store. And if you like keeping an eye on the numbers, you can pair it with lactate monitoring using a dedicated device like the Lactate Plus.