Beta-alanine is a modified version of the amino acid alanine.
Beta-Alanine has been shown to be effective when used as a pre workout supplement, when it is ingested, it converts to a molecule called carnosine, this molecule then acts as an acidic buffer within the body.
Carnosine is stored within certain cells and is released in response to pH drops within the body.
Increased stores of carnosine can protect against diet-induced drops in body pH, such as that seen during ketosis, as well as protecting from exercise-induced lactic acid production, which is what is responsible for that burning feeling you get during a tough workout!
Beta-Alanine Used As A Pre Workout
Beta-alanine has been shown to promote muscular endurance, some people have even reported being able to perform a couple extra reps when training, especially during the higher rep workouts, such as ab workouts.
Beta-alanine supplementation may also be capable of improving moderate-high intensity cardiovascular activities, such as running & sprinting.
Pre workout use of beta-alanine is a common way to use this supplement, it is generally dosed between 2 and 5 Grams, this can be taken all in one dose safely or also split into multiple smaller doses over time!
However, there is one side effect which is common, it is called paraesthesia, it is a tingling effect which most people often get after taking beta-alanine, but don’t worry, it is completely harmless.
The Effects Of Beta-Alanine Supplementation
The benefits of beta-alanine largely outweigh the potential side-effects of this supplement, which is why I recommend it if your within its scope of benefits!
It is great for use as a pre-workout, and it may help build muscle and also has a fairly wide array of other benefits, such as:
- Beta-alanine may slightly improve muscular endurance. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess this hypothesis, which resulted in a 85% median increase in performance! Not much, but still worthwhile.
- It may be effective at reducing fatigue and significantly increasing time-until-exhaustion.
- Possibly reduces fat mass, and may possess a slighthy pertrophic effect, however this could be due to higher work volume, this isn’t yet clear.
The side effects of beta-alanine are almost non-existent, and the currently reported side-effects consist of just paraesthesia, the tingling effect most people feel, which is completely harmless.
Overall, beta-alanine has proven itself to be among the top muscle building and pre workout supplements, such as Creatine and L-Arginine, available on the market.
Capable of improving muscular endurance, reducing muscular fatigue and promoting lean mass and body re-composition, as shown in some studies.
