Beta Alanine

Using beta-alanine to produce muscle carnosine is a way to increase anaerobic exercise potential, and is likely to add to the effects of creatine in some exercise settings. First discovered in the early 1900s, beta-alanine and histidine are the two components of carnosine. Histidine is already present in large quantity within skeletal muscles, so it is beta-alanine that acts as the rate-limiting factor in carnosine conversion.

During exercise, a buildup of metabolic waste limits muscle contraction, with hydrogen ions being the worst. If hydrogen ions can be buffered, muscle strength can be maintained for a longer time before fatigue sets in. Anyone, including bodybuilders, involved in exercise where lactic acid buildup is a limiting factor, stands to benefit from supplementation with beta-alanine. In the gym, this benefit may translate into more reps at a given weight.

Studies have shown that increasing muscle carnosine by supplementing with beta-alanine may delay fatigue and improve the muscular aspects of athletic performance.

Research also indicates that beta-alanine increases lactate threshold, improves the ability to maintain maximal power output during high-intensity exercise, and decreases neuromuscular fatigue.