Beta alanine is a non-essential amino acid (meaning our body makes it itself), which works to increase the muscle content of a compound called carnosine. Carnosines main role in the muscle is to ‘soak up’ hydrogen ions. When you exercise, your body produces hydrogen ions which build up and reduce the pH level of your muscles. This is partly why muscles get sore and performance decreases during long bouts of exercise. B-alanine increases the levels of carnosine in your muscle fibres, increasing the amount of hydrogen ions that are ‘soaked up’ resulting in a less pronounced drop in muscle pH. In short, B-alanine allows you to train harder for longer.
Dietary sources of beta alanine
There are three main sources of B-alanine; your liver, your diet and supplements. Because B-alanine is made in the liver and is present in muscles, it should come as no surprise that the most prominent dietary sources include meat and fish. However, there are trace amounts found in eggs, milk and cheese. B-alanine supplementation therefore would be useful in vegans and vegetarians, as these populations will likely have lower levels of B-alanine.
What are the main benefits of supplementation?
B-alanine is one of the few dietary supplements which has a strong evidence base behind it. It has been shown to improve muscle strength, muscle mass, aerobic and anaerobic endurance and exercise capacity (1). A meta-analysis carried out in 2012 found performance improvement to be 2.85% (2); for example if you run a 4 minute mile, this is an increase of 7 seconds, which is a potential game changer. Preliminary research also suggests that B-alanine can reduce neuromuscular fatigue (3) (particularly in the elderly population (4,5)), potentially resulting in improved tactical and technical performance; making this supplement ideal for high-intensity sprinting sports lasting 1-7 minutes (e.g. rowing, track athletics) and team sports like football and hockey.
How much do I need?
Recommended dosage of B-alanine is between 4-6g per day, split into smaller doses (e.g. 2-3g in the morning and evening)(1). This protocol has been shown to increase muscle carnosine levels by up to 64% after 4 weeks (6), and 80% after 10 weeks (7). However, this is highly variable from person to person, with some people only increasing carnosine levels by 15% after 6 weeks. An individual’s initial muscle carnosine levels are dependent on many factors, including age (declines with age), gender (males generally have higher levels than females) and dietary intake (from foods like beef, pork, poultry, fish etc) (8). This may also explain why vegetarians and vegans show larger increases in muscle carnosine with B-alanine supplementation compared to meat-eaters (9).
Is it safe?
B-alanine is safe to consume as recommended. The only reported side effect is paraesthesia (a tingling sensation in the skin) which occurs more often with larger doses (>6g)(10). This is why it is recommended to take several smaller doses, multiple times per day. Asian females may also be more susceptible to paraesthesia (11). There is currently no research on the long term (>1 year) effects of B-alanine supplementation, however, as B-alanine is endogenous, safety concerns are low (1). As with any supplement, there is a risk of the product containing substances that aren’t on the label. Always check your supplements are tested for the presence of banned substances using a third-party batch testing company, like Informed Sport or NSF.
Why iidro?
iidro Train drink contains 3g of B-alanine, to bring you all the performance benefits listed in this article, without the side effect of skin-tingling. Best taken in the morning and mid-day, iidro Train will help increase muscle carnosine levels and allow you to unlock the next level of performance.
References:
(1) Trexler, Eric T et al. “International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition vol. 12 30. 15 Jul. 2015, doi:10.1186/s12970-015-0090-y
(2) Hobson RM, Saunders B, Ball G, Harris RC, Sale C. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis. Amino Acids. 2012;43(1):25–37. doi: 10.1007/s00726-011-1200-z
(3) Smith AE, Moon JR, Kendall KL, Graef JL, Lockwood CM, Walter AA, et al. The effects of beta-alanine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on neuromuscular fatigue and muscle function. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2009;105(3):357–63. doi: 10.1007/s00421-008-0911-7
(4) McCormack WP, Stout JR, Emerson NS, Scanlon TC, Warren AM, Wells AJ, et al. Oral nutritional supplement fortified with beta-alanine improves physical working capacity in older adults: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Exp Gerontol. 2013;48(9):933–9. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2013.06.003
(5) Stout JR, Graves BS, Smith AE, Hartman MJ, Cramer JT, Beck TW, et al. The effect of beta-alanine supplementation on neuromuscular fatigue in elderly (55–92 Years): a double-blind randomized study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2008;5:21. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-5-21.
(6) Stellingwerff T, Anwander H, Egger A, Buehler T, Kreis R, Decombaz J, et al. Effect of two beta-alanine dosing protocols on muscle carnosine synthesis and washout. Amino Acids. 2012;42(6):2461–72. doi: 10.1007/s00726-011-1054-4.
(7) Hill CA, Harris RC, Kim HJ, Harris BD, Sale C, Boobis LH, et al. Influence of beta-alanine supplementation on skeletal muscle carnosine concentrations and high intensity cycling capacity. Amino Acids. 2007;32(2):225–33. doi: 10.1007/s00726-006-0364-4.
(8) Everaert I, Mooyaart A, Baguet A, Zutinic A, Baelde H, Achten E, et al. Vegetarianism, female gender and increasing age, but not CNDP1 genotype, are associated with reduced muscle carnosine levels in humans. Amino Acids. 2011;40(4):1221–9. doi: 10.1007/s00726-010-0749-2.
(9) Harris RC, Jones G, Hill CH, Kendrick IP, Boobis L, Kim CK, et al. The carnosine content of vastus lateralis in vegetarians and omnivores. FASEB J. 2007;21:76.20. doi: 10.1096/fj.06-6925com
(10) Harris RC, Tallon MJ, Dunnett M, Boobis L, Coakley J, Kim HJ, et al. The absorption of orally supplied beta-alanine and its effect on muscle carnosine synthesis in human vastus lateralis. Amino Acids. 2006;30(3):279–89. doi: 10.1007/s00726-006-0299-9.
(11) Macphee S, Weaver IN, Weaver DF. An Evaluation of Interindividual Responses to the Orally Administered Neurotransmitter beta-Alanine. J Amino Acids. 2013;2013:429847. doi: 10.1155/2013/429847.