What is Beta Alanine?

One of the amino acids found in the structure of the muscle is Beta-alanine. Beta Alanine
does not generally contribute to synthesizing proteins, that means it does not get involved in the process of building muscle. However, Beta alanine is directly required in
synthesizing Carnosine in the body. Carnosine is made when beta alanine is combined
with histidine.

Beta alanine is not found in large quantities in the food that we eat, but our body
generates the beta alanine that it requires. There are several ways to increase the level
of beta alanine in our body, but the most significant method is by taking beta alanine
supplements. As mentioned earlier, once beta alanine is consumed through supplements,
it interacts with L-histidine and forms carnosine via a very complicated mechanism in our
body.
The important fact that needs to be noted is that our body needs carnosine and the
production of carnosine is dependent on the amount of beta alanine. Therefore, the only
reason to take beta alanine is to increase the level of carnosine in our body muscle
tissue.

Why Do We Need Beta Alanine?

The only advantage of beta alanine is to produce carnosine in the muscle tissue. The function of
carnosine is to increase the energy and performance of the muscle by lowering the acidity of
muscle when doing a long workout. It should be noted that carnosine is found in abundance in
fast-twitch fibers of the body muscles. When we exercise hard for a long time, certain reactions
increase the concentration of acids in our muscle and decrease the muscle pH. Because of acidity
in our muscle, we sense the fatigue and feel tired.

How Does Beta Alanine Supplements Help?

Beta Alanine increases the level of carnosine in the muscle, and carnosine decreases the
level of acids in the muscle which delays the fatigue during the exercise. However, unlike
creatine, carnosine does not result in higher strength in the muscle. It should be noted that
beta alanine (carnosine) does not increase the aerobic strength, but it can improve the
anaerobic power in the muscle.
Some research has shown that if an athlete uses beta alanine supplements for 28 days,
it can increase the carnosiine level by around 60%. When supplementation with beta
alanine is continued, it has even been shown that carnosine level could increase even
further up to 10 weeks of beta alanine consumption.

Benefits of Beta Alanine Supplements

Taking beta alanine supplements has been shown to increase the performance and
lower fatigue and tiredness in mostly anaerobic sports. It has also been shown that beta
alanine supplements can result in a higehr lean mass, lower body fat and higher strength.
Studies have also shown that beta alanine supplements can increase the performance
and energy of football players by around 34%.

Dosage and Timing

The time of taking beta alanine supplements does not matter. It means that the athletes
do not have to take it before or after the exercise necessarily.
Usually, pre-workout products contain beta alanine and they are recommended to be
used before workout. However, try to use enough beta alanine supplements to
reach 3 to 4 grams of beta alanine in your daily diet. If you continue this diet for 28 days,
you will maximize the carnosine storage in your muscle and achieve maximum
performance and energy.

Potential Side Effects

generally beta alanine is a very safe supplement with minimal side effects. However, the
only side effect that can be mentioned and has been reported is the tingling and pricking
feeling in the face and hands which are called paresthesia. Some tingling feeling has been
reported for intake dose of more than 800 mg of beta alanine. This feeling might last for
about 60 to 90 minutes.
The final words about Beta Alanine
Normally if you are looking for a great workout with excellent energy and performance,
then the best supplement that can be recommended is beta alanine combined with some
creatine.
One additional hint is to look for the brand name of CarnoSyn® as this is the most
researched brand of beta alanine.