Beta Alanine Pre-Workout Supplements, Dosages & Reviews

Beta alanine pre-workout supplements can help to decrease muscle fatigue during intense bouts of physical exertion. Beta alanine is an amino acid that is the rate-limiting precursor to carnosine.

Carnosine helps to maintain proper intramuscular pH levels, prolonging a given muscle’s capacities to contract and perform exercise during at a high intensity level. It buffers against the effects of lactic acid, which is produced during anaerobic metabolism.

Bodybuilders use beta alanine in pre-workout supplements so they can train more effectively and build lean muscle mass faster. Athletes also take this supplement to improve stamina and other factors related to physical performance capacity.

However, taking a beta alanine pre-workout supplement right before exercise may not be as effective as using it on a regular loading phase schedule. It can take up to two weeks for muscle carnosine levels to increase to peak levels after using a beta alanine supplement.

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

Top Beta Alanine Products* ❯

View User Ratings* ❯

Effects of Beta Alanine Pre-Workout Supplements

The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (NMCD) states that there are more than 500 commercial products available containing beta alanine. Beta alanine is a beta amino acid that can be biosynthesized (made inside the body) or ingested from certain food sources.

Pre-workout supplements that contain beta-alanine may also include creatine, caffeine, BCAAs, other amino acids, vitamins and herbal extracts to increase energy, workout capacity and muscle protein synthesis.

Beta alanine is primarily used to increase stores of carnosine inside the muscles. Carnosine is found throughout the body, but is especially concentrated inside type 2 (fast twitch) muscle tissues.

In one study, routine supplementation with pure beta alanine for 10 weeks caused an 80.1% increase in muscle carnosine stores.

Carnosine is stored inside the muscles so that it can be available to buffer accumulations of hydrogen protons (H+) during periods of intense physical work.

Hydrogen ions are released during glycolysis, the lactic acid (Cori) cycle and certain other biological processes. When H+ builds up in muscles due to metabolic functions, pH levels imbalanced.

When intramuscular pH drops under 7, the tissues become acidic. This is called muscular acidosis; a condition which causes the muscles to lose their contractile capacities.

We commonly describe this as a result of the build-up of lactic acid in muscle tissue. However, it is actually the result of the hydrogen protons building up.

Fatigue onsets, often accompanied by a feeling of “burning” in the muscles. Carnosine buffers the H+ ions, restores pH balance and can help to delay the onset of fatigue.

In research studies, taking beta-alanine to increase carnosine levels has been shown to improve measure of fatigue as well as increase mean power output during exercise. This can indirectly have a positive effect on lean muscle mass and body composition ratios.

Using Beta Alanine Pre-Workout Supplements

Do you really need to use beta alanine in your pre-workout stack for increasing athletic performance?

Research shows that there are no apparent benefits of taking beta alanine supplements at certain times of the day. In other words, taking this supplement one hour or thirty minutes before a workout is not likely to increase performance more than if you were to use it earlier in the day.

What is known is that it is better to take smaller doses throughout the day instead of one or two larger doses daily. The manufacturer of CarnoSyn, one popular beta alanine supplement, recommends taking 1.6-gram doses every three hours or so until the desired daily dosage is reached.

There is a loading period necessary to gain optimal benefits via beta alanine supplementation. Its effects are not rapid, like caffeine, for instance. CarnoSyn’s loading recommendations are based on 3.2-gram dosages, taken in 1.6-gram doses twice daily, for at least 4 weeks.

Beta alanine powders can be added to other performance-enhancing products; like protein shakes, branched chain amino acids, multivitamins and others.

There have been a few research studies looking at the effects of combining beta alanine with creatine; however, results are inconclusive so far.

How Much Beta Alanine to Use Daily?

Research has not yet determine an optimal pre-workout dosage for beta alanine supplements. In clinical trials, daily doses between 3.2 and 6.4 grams are commonly used. There seems to be no added benefits for taking higher doses.

In one 10-week double-blind human trial involving 37 college wrestlers and football players, daily 4-gram beta alanine doses were studied for ergogenic (performance-enhancing) potentials.

Relative to a placebo group, the treatment group demonstrated significant increases in lean mass, as well as performance enhancements in flexed-arm hang times and 300-yard shuttle run times.

Concerning the addition of any dietary supplement, it is wise to begin usage cautiously. Many users begin at half the recommended dosage, and then slowly increase it as long as they do not observe any adverse side effects developing.

Side Effects of Pre-Workout Beta Alanine Products

Pure beta alanine pre workout supplements are generally well tolerated, but some may experience a tingling sensation after using high doses.

This is called paresthesia and it is both temporary and harmless. Short-term (transient) paresthesia induced by beta alanine administration is marked by feelings of tingling or numbness on the skin. It can happen anywhere on the body, but normally is felt in the extremities.

Some supplement users seem to enjoy the transient paresthesia. It makes them feel that the product is working immediately.

Besides the transient paresthesia, beta alanine supplements are not associated with serious side effects. In some cases, irritation in the eyes, skin, respiratory tract and/or gastrointestinal tract have been reported.

When selecting a pre-workout supplement with beta alanine, be sure to review the safety of each individual ingredient and do not exceed the recommended dosage. Taking multiple supplements together can increase the risk of side effects and interactions.

Conclusions

Beta alanine pre workout supplements work over time to increase intramuscular reserves of carnosine. Having carnosine available in muscle tissues buffers against hydrogen atoms and restores acidic pH to optimal levels.

Follow the dosing instructions on the labels of the products you may select. Do your research to ensure that you choose a reputable, high-quality supplement.

If you have pre-existing medical conditions, or take prescription or illicit drugs, or use herbal supplements in your diet, then it is best to speak with a qualified health professional before using beta alanine pre workout supplements.

Rate This Article

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5, rated)