Is Beta alanine worth it ...?
Hi friend,
In the last decade there has been a lot of new research on the field of supplements that can be used to achieve peak athletic performance. In the last post I discussed the importance of Creatine as a supplement with physical and mental benefits and as a potential treatment for specific medical conditions related to the human brain.
Today I want to explore the potential benefits of Beta alanine, another well-known supplement that has become very popular in the last decade and has been used by many athletes of different disciplines. I am going to give you a quick summary of the latest research regarding Beta alanine. Enjoy :).
What is Beta alanine ?
To answer that question we first need to clarify how our muscles work. To contract during exercise our muscles use different approaches to produce energy in the form of ATP. These systems are all active during exercise but to different degrees depending on which exercise you are performing.
1. The ATP-Phosphocreatine system
Mainly for short and high intensity efforts lasting up to 10 seconds. Creatine as a supplement can have a positive influence on this particular system.
2. Glycolytic system
For high intensity efforts lasting up to 240 seconds. Beta Alanine plays an important role in improving the capabilities of the Glycolytic system.
3. Oxidative system
Mostly for lower intensity but longer efforts lasting up to several hours or even longer.
Since beta alanine is mainly aiding in the glycolytic system, I am going to focus specifically on that system.
In the Glycolytic system Glycogen that is stored in your muscle is converted into Glucose. This Glucose gets broken down in a process called Glycolysis that generates ATP and Hydrogen Ions. The ATP is what drives the muscle and what provides energy for the movements needed. The Hydrogen Ions on the other hand are a byproduct of this process and accumulate in the muscle cells making them more acidic. This makes your muscles sore and gives you that burning sensation while training. Some of that Hydrogen Ions can be neutralized by binding with pyruvate and creating Lactate which acts as a contemporary buffering system. But as you progress in your training the muscle becomes increasingly acidic to the point where you need to pause the exercise. That’s where Beta Alanine comes into play.
Beta alanine is a molecule that together with Histidine makes up the molecule Carnosine. Carnosine acts as a buffer for Hydrogen Ions during intense exercise. Increasing muscle carnosine content (by supplementing with the substrate Beta Alanine) therefore reduces the amount of Hydrogen Ions in your muscle and the acidity of your muscle cells.
Why not supplement directly with Carnosine ?
Although it seems quite logical, studies have shown that Carnosine supplementation does not raise Carnosine levels in the same way that Beta Alanine supplementation does. This has several reasons: Carnosine is not absorbed very well by the muscle cells in comparison to Beta alanine and therefore cant impact the muscle as much. Also looking at both substrates that make up Carnosine (Histidine and Beta alanine) Beta alanine levels are normally low while Histidine levels are way higher. Elevating Beta alanine levels to the normal Histidine levels seems to be the more effective way to fuel the muscle.
Who should use it ?
Studies show that Beta alanine is most effective for sets lasting 60 to 240 seconds because that’s where the Glycolytic system is most active. Your muscles will have more endurance and you will recover faster during sets because less acid needs to be cleared from your muscles. In other words Beta alanine delays the onset of muscular fatigue.
Although this also seems to work almost as good for sets lasting longer than 240 seconds, Beta alanine seems to have no effect on exercises that last less than 60 seconds.
So in general you could say that Beta alanine seems to work good on disciplines that fall in the 60 to 240 second time range or above. This might be interesting for High intensity interval training, running, rowing, boxing or even football and other sports. Beta alanine does not seem to be beneficial for disciplines like weight lifting or body building (when performed under 20-30 reps) because of the short muscle work of under 60 seconds.
How should I take it ?
Typically 2-5 grams a day would be ideal to accumulate Beta alanine in the muscle and to reach the desired outcome of performance enhancement. The time of the day does not really make a difference although it is recommended to spread out the intake over the day ( so maybe 2 grams during the morning, noon and evening) to avoid common itching and tingling sensations on your body (Paresthesia) that are completely harmless but can be unpleasant.
Beta alanine vs Creatine
Although both supplements are often compared they both work on different parts of the Muscle metabolism. While Creatine enhances immediate muscle strength trough the Phosphocreatine system and is great for powerlifters or bodybuilders, Beta alanine improves muscle endurance and recovery by enhancing the glycogenic system which aids athletes that perform longer efforts. The supplementation of both could be interesting for hybrid athletes that want to increase muscular strength as well as endurance.
Summary
- Beta alanine is a substrate of Carnosine which acts as a Buffer to reduce Acidity in your muscle
- It works best for efforts between 60-240 seconds, but also for efforts longer than 240 seconds
- improves muscle endurance and muscle recovery
- Take 2-5 grams daily
- very well researched, no harmful side effects known
https://pubmed0.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22270875/
image sources:
Have a great day!
Jan Erik