Although Beta-Alanine was discovered 100 years ago, today it has been found to have uses in bodybuilding. Beta-Alanine is also known as 3-aminopropanoic acid. It should not be confused with alanine. Beta-Alanine is a non proteinogenic amino acid, which means it cannot be synthesized into a protein. Beta-Alanine can be found naturally in poultry and beef.

Beta-Alanine research:

Dr. Roger Harris research, which later led to creatine on the market, has also now helped bring attention to beta-alanine. Research starting in 95 and then by Harris in 98, showed that Beta-Alanine supplementation could help increase performance. This appears to be due to beta-alanine being a pre-cursor to converting to carnisine in muscles. You can read more about Carnisine in another article of mine.

A study published in Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006 Aug;16(4):430-46 was done for 10 weeks on 33 college football players. They had groups put in placebo, creatine, or creatine plus beta-alanine. The results of the study showed that the beta-alanine plus creatine group gained more muscle and lost more fat than the creatine or placebo group. This study shows that not only is beta-alanine beneficial, but it can be taken together with creatine.

Another study by Stout, J., et al., Effects of Beta-Alanine supplementation on the onset of neuromusclular fatigue and ventilatory threshold in women. University of Oklahoma, OK. showed that beta-alanine supplementation significantly increased endurance. This is important because it means you will be able to get that extra rep in for your set before you tire.

Beta-Alanine Recommendations:

The optimal dose seems to be about 5 grams a day according to research. It should also be taken with a high carbohydrate meal. Beta-Alanine seems to have similiar benefits overall as creatine. Taking creatine with Beta-Alanine will mean you will get benefits of both supplements simultaneously. It may take 3 to 4 weeks to start noticing results from Beta-Alanine. According to studies it should take 12 weeks before it hits its peak.

Beta-Alanine Side Effects:

Some people notice a tingling sensation on the skin in the first few weeks directly after ingestion that lasts about an hour. Eventually this subsides after a few weeks of supplementation. It is caused by how Beta-Alanine binds to nerve receptors. It is not felt by everyone, so it is not a sign of it working or not.