Athletic Performance: Beta Alanine
Athletic Performance: Beta Alanine
A "Tingling" Ingredient
Before jumping into ingredients that support athletic performance, let us look at what happens to the muscles when beginning exercise:
Breakdown of stored sugar (glucose) into lactic acid fuels muscle contraction
Lactic acid converts to lactate, which increases muscle acidity
Increasing acidity blocks the breakdown of glucose and reduces the muscles’ ability to contract. This causes fatigue and exhaustion.
Typically, ingredients that support exercise performance are ones that either increase blood flow to the muscles (vasodilator) or help counteract the effects of muscle acidity (step 2). Beta alanine, a common ingredient found in pre-workout supplements and powders, falls into the second category. When it is combined with histidine (an amino acid), it produces carnosine. Carnosine helps regulate the acidity in the muscles enabling them to perform longer.
A person has plenty of histidine stored in the body, so the rate limiting factor to produce carnosine and extend muscle performance is beta alanine. Beta alanine is a non-essential amino acid, which means that the body can produce it if it is not obtained by food (provided it has the necessary building blocks). High amounts of beta alanine (and carnosine) are found in chicken, turkey, beef, or pork; and trace amounts are found in dairy products. So, while omnivores are unlikely to be deficient in it, vegans and vegetarians typically are. Once carnosine is produced from beta alanine, it is stored in the brain, muscles, and gastrointestinal track.
Multiple studies have shown that beta alanine is most effective to extend muscle endurance and increase strength for short, high intensity exercise lasting from one minute to approximately 25 minutes (with the most effective results between 1-10 minutes). A sustained release form of beta alanine can potentially extend this time, but more research is needed to prove this. All studies have shown that “loading” is required to maximize results. For beta alanine, “loading” is consuming at least the minimum dosage consecutively for 28 days. Beyond athletic performance, studies have shown that beta alanine supports muscle endurance for the elderly (not necessarily athletes). This is especially important since muscle deterioration increases as we age. Preliminary studies have also suggested that beta alanine might function as an antioxidant (or reduce oxidative stress), improve heart health, and improve overall body composition.
Dosages of beta alanine vary based on the type of person and/or type of exercise. For non-athletes and athletes alike, 3.2 grams of beta alanine is recommended per day over the course of 28 days to load and improve muscle performance and function. For athletes, this dosage can go as high as 6.4 grams, depending on the type, intensity, and duration of the exercise that is being performed (where the higher the dosage, the better results). Whatever dosage is chosen within this range, it can be spread throughout the day, if desired. Beta alanine has a characteristic “tingling” sensation when consumed; which, although perfectly safe, can be considered uncomfortable. The intensity of the sensation varies from person to person, but generally those that have not taken beta alanine before can be more sensitive. To counteract this, consuming a sustained release form or dividing up the dosage throughout the day is recommended. Sustained release tablets (like this one) are a great way to easily divide up the required dosage throughout the day, while minimizing the effects. However, is beta alanine is consumed to improve an exercise session, a powdered beverage (like this one) will give nearly instantaneous effects.
Have you taken beta alanine before? What do you think of its effects?