Beta-alanine has become a popular supplement among competitive athletes in various sports. This trend began when Professor Roger Harris, who was behind the creatine supplement, started publishing papers on the potential effects of beta-alanine. In this article, we will discuss the effects, usage, and safety of beta-alanine.

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Effects of Beta-Alanine on Exercise Performance

Follow-up studies have shown that beta-alanine supplementation leads to improvements in high-intensity exercise performance. These improvements are generally seen during all-out exercise lasting between 1 and 4 minutes. However, if the exercise is shorter or longer, there does not seem to be a significant benefit. Beta-alanine does not appear to help in team sports with more intermittent activity either. Therefore, there is a specific window around 1-4 minutes where beta-alanine can be effective. Cyclists may benefit from beta-alanine during a 1-4 minute surge later in a race, but research is needed to confirm or disprove this potential benefit.

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How to Use Beta-Alanine

To use beta-alanine, studies have typically used supplementing strategies of multiple doses of 400 mg or 800 mg, administered at regular intervals for up to eight hours (4-8 times a day), over periods ranging from 4 to 10 weeks. After a 10-week supplementing strategy, the reported increase in intramuscular carnosine content is, on average, about 80%, with a range of around 20% to 200%. This means that some athletes may benefit more than others, but changes in buffering capacity result in measurable changes in buffering capacity.

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Is Beta-Alanine Safe?

Beta-alanine appears to be safe. It is a naturally occurring compound, and the only side effect that is frequently reported is "pins and needles." Pins and needles, or paraesthesia, is a pricking, burning, tingling, or numbing sensation usually felt in the arms, legs, hands, feet, and nose. The exact reason why this happens is not clear, but the effects wear off, and there are no long-term negative effects. Beta-alanine usually comes in a slow-release form, which means it is absorbed slower and over a longer period, taking care of most of the symptoms. If you use slow-release beta-alanine, you may not experience any symptoms, or they will be significantly reduced.

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In Conclusion

Whether or not beta-alanine can help an athlete's performance depends on the event's duration. If your event lasts between 1-4 minutes, it may be worth trying beta-alanine. Beta-alanine is one of the few supplements that can be backed up by evidence of efficacy, multiple studies reproducing the effect, and a clearly described and plausible physiological mechanism. However, it primarily applies to the window of 1-4 minutes as discussed.

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Scientific Reference

1. Blancquaert L, Everaert I, Derave W. Beta-alanine supplementation, muscle carnosine, and exercise performance. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2015, 18(1):63-70