What is Beta-alanine?
Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid however unlike most amino acids, it is not used by your body to make proteins. Instead, it produces carnosine. Carnosine reduces lactic acid build up in your muscles during exercise, which leads to improved athletic performance.
Supplementing with beta-alanine has been shown to elevate carnosine levels in muscles by up to 80%.
This is how carnosine acts during exercise:
Glucose is broken down - Lactate is produced - Muscles become more acidic - Fatigue sets in.
Carnosine serves as a buffer against the acid, reducing the acidity in muscles during high-intensity exercise.
Since beta-alanine supplements increase carnosine levels, they help your muscles reduce their acid levels during exercise. This,in turn, lessens overall fatigue.
Beta-alanine benefits
- Increased time to exhaustion
- Helps reduce lactic acid build up
- Improves athletic performance
How much to take? Are there any side effects?
To enhance athletic performance, 2.4-6.4 grams of beta-alanine daily has been used.
Large doses of beta-alanine may cause a tingling feeling called paresthesia. There is no evidence that paresthesia is harmful in any way however this side effect can be avoided by taking smaller doses throughout the day
