Beta-Alanine Supplements | Beta Alanine Side Effects
Beta Alanine supplement Info and Side Effects
Beta Alanine supplements have made almost as big an impact on the sports andbodybuilding supplement world as creatine! Similar to creatine, beta alanine increases the ability to do more work, which stimulates more muscle growth! This stuff works!
Look at the label of most pre-workout supplements on the market today and you will most likely see Beta-Alanine! This is a powerful advantage to muscle building.
Rating:****
Category: Strength, Specialty
Explanation: Beta Alanine (also known as L-alanine) is a non-essential
amino acid that combines with the amino acid Histidine (many of the
products featured on this page also contain Histidine) in the muscle to form
a dipeptide known as carnosine. When a high concentration of carnosine is
present in the muscle, research has confirmed that it increases power and
strength. Carnosine also reduces muscle fatigue.
Bodybuilding Benefit: Beta Alanine is a highly rated bodybuilding
supplement because it reduces muscular fatigue which allows the muscle to
do more work, (perform more reps) which stimulates increased muscular
growth. Beta Alanine is especially effective when stacked with creatine.
Studies have shown that weight trainers who supplement with Beta Alanine
and creatine experienced significantly more muscle growth and strength
gains than those who only took creatine.
Timing and Dosing: 1.5-3 mg combined with pre and post workout
creatine shakes, for a total of 3-6 grams each day.
Take 3-6 grams with breakfast on non-workout days.
What is Beta- Alanine?
It is considered an organic amino acid because there is a carbon atom in itsmolecular structure. Alanine can be found in fish, poultry, pork and beef.
Most animal based protein foods contain large amounts of Beta-alanine.
How does Beta Alanine work?
Beta alanine is an amino acid that binds with Histidine (another amino acid) to form Carnosine. Carnosine is a dipeptide that delays muscle fatigue,
thus allowing you to do another rep or two, which then stimulates greater
muscle growth!
Side Effects of Beta Alanine
Beta-alanine has been known to cause some of the following side effects: tingling sensation of the skin, flushing of the ears, scalp, forehead, arms, chest and buttocks approximately 20 minutes after taking. Taking low dosages in the beginning and slowly working your way up will keep these side effects barely noticeable. Not everyone will experience these side effects.
Studies have shown that continual use of Beta alanine for 4 weeks causes no toxicity and blood tests were found to be normal. Beta Alanine is considered to be safe and non-toxic at the manufacturers recommended dosages.
Does it make sense to supplement with carnosine instead of
beta-alanine?
It sounds like it would be the way to go, but carnosine is broken down in the intestines into the amino acids, beta-alanine and histidine. Then these amino acids are transported into the muscle tissue where they bind together to form....you guessed it, Carnosine! The problem is that most of the carnosine you started with is destroyed by this process, so you end up with a lot less carnosine in the muscle. You would have to take very large doses of carnosine to do any good. Beta alanine is already broken down, so it goes directly to the muscle to start forming carnosine.Clearly, supplementing with beta-alanine is a more efficient way to increase carnosine levels.
Clearly, supplementing with beta-alanine is a more efficient way to increase
carnosine levels.
