Beta Alanine and Creatine Stack Benefits, Doses & Effects

Stacking beta alanine and creatine may have benefits for bodybuilders and anyone who wants to enhance their physical performance. Both supplements have been research clinically, and have been shown to improve certain markers of exercise performance.

Some of the results associated with beta alanine and creatine include increased strength, increased lean muscle mass, decreased muscular fatigue and increased time-to-failure in physical challenges.

Athletes are not the only group to benefit from beta alanine and creatine. Cyclists, sprinters, rowers, wrestlers, runners and other athletes have also used this stack.

Both beta alanine and creatine are considered safe for short-term use. They seem to work synergistically to accentuate the other’s ergogenic effects. What are the effects of taking beta alanine with creatine powder and how should they be used?

Beta Alanine

Bodybuilding Supplement

Body- building

Pre- Workout

Stamina

How It Works:

• Supports muscle growth & workout performance
• Improves athletic stamina & power output
• Increases muscle carnosine levels

Dosage:

Between 2 - 6 grams per day

Safety:

Rated Possibly Safe

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Benefits of Beta Alanine

The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (NMCD) states that pure beta alanine administration is used for increasing exercise capacity and improving athletic performance.

It is also used to increase lean muscle and enhance physical performance markers in both bodybuilders and in elderly individuals.

Beta alanine is a beta amino acid, having its amino group in the second position from its carboxylate group. It is unlike most other aminos in that it is not proteinogenic.

Instead of being used for protein synthesis, beta alanine is used primarily to form a dipeptide called carnosine.

Dipeptides are molecules composed of two amino acids. In the case of carnosine, those two aminos are beta alanine and histidine.

Research has shown that beta alanine is the rate-limiting precursor to carnosine. Increasing beta alanine intake directly increases muscle carnosine levels, especially in type 2 muscle fibers.

Using beta alanine and creatine together helps to increase muscle carnosine levels. Carnosine buffers out accumulations of hydrogen protons from muscles. This restores proper pH balancing in muscles that have been affected by acidosis (high acidity) resulting from intense physical exertion.

Decreasing muscular acidosis and restoring optimal intramuscular pH leads to decreased muscular fatigue and improved endurance.

Benefits of Creatine

Creatine has been the target of much clinical research, with results showing it aids in energy metabolism and cellular function.

It is effective for increasing workout intensity, muscle contractility, ATP (adenosine triphosphate) synthesis, glycogen levels and metabolism.

Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid which can be gained from meat and other food sources; It can also be biosynthesized in the liver, kidneys and pancreas.

Creatine is converted into phosphocreatine (creatine phosphate) and then stored in the muscles throughout the body. When you engage in intense physical exertion in the short term, phosphocreatine is converted into energy in the form of ATP.

Athletes and others use beta alanine and creatine supplements in their diets to improve energy synthesis and decrease fatigue simultaneously, especially in the 60-240-second range of training.

The NMCD states other uses for creatine; including prevention and/or treatment for CHF (congestive heart failure), hyperlipidemia, retinal gyrate atrophy, Parkinson’s disease, mitochondrial cytopathy, bipolar disorder, depression and neuromuscular disease.

Creatine is also used medicinally to slow down the expression of symptoms and progressions of Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), RA (rheumatoid arthritis), McArdle’s disease and several muscular dystrophy-related conditions.

Results of Beta Alanine and Creatine Stacks

A small number of research studies have examined the effects of combining Beta Alanine with creatine monohydrate. In one study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness in November 2015, this combination was studies during repeated bouts of intense exercise in sedentary men.

Forty-four untrained males between the ages of 20 – 22 participated in this study. The group was split into four treatment protocols: receiving either a placebo, 5 g creatine alone, 1.6 g beta-alanine alone or a combination of 1.6 g beta-alanine and 5 g creatine.

The participants received the supplements orally twice a day for 22 days, and then four times a day for the last 6 days. They were observed in a baseline exercise session at the beginning of the trial and a second exercise session at the end of the 28 days.

Peak power, mean power and fatigue index were recorded for both training sessions. According to the study authors, the group that received beta-alanine and the beta-alanine plus creatine group both saw an improvement in physical performance by increasing the mean power measurement and by delaying the fatigue index.

In another study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in November 2014, the effects of taking creatine together with beta alanine were observed for 28 days in thirty-two active females.

According to this study, there were no consistent additive benefits from using beta-alanine and creatine supplementation in the women. This suggests that the benefits of this supplement combination may be greater in inactive individuals compared to active individuals.

Safety of Beta Alanine and Creatine Stacks

Both creatine and beta-alanine are well tolerated when used as individual supplements and there appear to be no additional side effects associated with their combination.

One study looked at the safety of a pre-workout supplement that contained beta-alanine, creatine, caffeine, other amino acids and B vitamins. This supplement was given to active men for 28 days and the participants were observed for any changes in liver, kidney and cardiovascular function.

According to the study authors, “No adverse effects were noted for renal and hepatic clinical blood markers, resting heart rate, or BP. Supplements containing similar ingredients and doses should be safe for ingestion periods lasting up to 28 days in healthy, recreationally trained, college-aged men.”

Beta Alanine Safety

The most commonly reported side effect associated with pure beta alanine supplementation is transient paresthesia. This is the feeling of “pins and needles” which most people are familiar with.

Sensations of tingling, numbness, or itching may manifest when a dose of beta alanine in excess of roughly 800 mg is taken.

Some users of beta alanine and creatine report enjoying the transient paresthesia. It is a harmless sensation that naturally dissipates in about an hour or so in most individuals.

However, Sustained Release beta-alanine supplements can be used to avoid this side effect. One example is SR CarnoSyn, which is formulated to be absorbed into the blood at a lower rate, thereby preventing the tingling sensation.

Because beta alanine is a precursor to carnosine, which increases Nitric Oxide levels, this supplement may indirectly promote vasodilation.

Beta alanine supplementation may interact negatively with certain medications used to treat heart disease, hypertension, erectile dysfunction and similar conditions where circulatory efficacy is in question.

Beta alanine is rated as possibly safe for short-term (10 weeks or less) usage in daily doses of 6.4 grams or less. In older adults (55+), usage has been safe for 3 months with 2.4-gram daily doses.

Creatine safety:

Multiple human clinical trials have reported a complete lack of side effects associated with appropriate creatine supplementation. Long-term use in proper oral amounts is rated as likely safe. In healthy adults, it has been used daily for as long as 5 years without causing any adverse effects.

Some studies have reported cases of dehydration, heat intolerance, fever, seizure, reduced blood volume, gastrointestinal upset and/or renal dysfunction.

Improper, excessive use of creatine is rated as possibly unsafe. There are concerns for renal, cardiac, hepatic and other types of complications associated with very high doses.

The effects and side effects of beta alanine and creatine have not been researched in pregnant or nursing women, or in children. Medicinal usage of these substances is not recommended in these groups.

Conclusions about Beta Alanine and Creatine

Beta alanine and creatine can be stacked together to help to improve several markers for physical performance success. Both substances are safe when taken individually, and their proper combined usage has yielded no serious or lasting adverse effects.

It is best to speak with your doctor about supplementing with beta alanine and/or creatine to determine whether these products are appropriate for you.

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