Pure Beta Alanine Effects On Muscle Carnosine Levels & Performance

Dietary supplements that contain pure beta alanine can help to increase carnosine levels inside muscle tissues. This can counteract the effects of lactic acid, which is produced in muscles during intense exercise sessions.

Carnosine is a proton buffer. It helps to maintain optimal pH levels in muscle tissue, thereby inhibiting the onset of muscle fatigue and the “burning” sensation that we experience during anaerobic metabolism.

This prolongs endurance and boosts muscle contractility, resulting in improvements for stamina, power output and muscle building. Athletes and others use beta alanine powder and capsules to improve these and other physical performance markers.

Research shows that pure beta alanine administration increases intramuscular carnosine levels rapidly and significantly. In one 10-week human trial, muscle carnosine concentration increased by more than 80% with daily supplementation.

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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How Pure Beta Alanine Converts to Carnosine

Beta alanine (3-aminopropionic acid) is a nonessential amino acid. Our bodies synthesize it, and it can also be gained from certain food sources. It may also be taken as a dietary supplement in powder, capsule and other forms.

The primary role of beta alanine is to provide the raw material necessary for the synthesis of carnosine.

Carnosine is a dipeptide which is formed from a molecule of beta alanine binding to a molecule of histidine, another amino acid. This bond is formed via the actions of carnosine synthase, a ligase enzyme.

More specifically, ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is added to a molecule of pure beta alanine and a molecule of histidine with the help of carnosine synthase.

This chemical reaction yields three products: one ADP (adenosine diphosphate) molecule, one phosphate and one molecule of carnosine.

Functions of Muscle Carnosine

Carnosine is concentrated in fast twitch muscle fibers. It is also found in the brain and in other organs and tissues throughout the body.

The role of muscle carnosine is primarily centered on buffering hydrogen protons which cause fatigue. Serum carnosine serves several other integral biologic roles not discussed in this article.

Our bodies utilize different energy systems for different purposes. The primary method we create energy with is glycolysis. Glycolysis is the process of turning glucose into pyruvic acid and energy in the form of ATP. Lactic acid is also produced during glycolysis.

When ATP is metabolized in the glycolysis energy cycle, positively-charged hydrogen ions (H+) are released as byproducts. Hydrogen protons are also released as a result of the lactic acid cycle.

Especially during periods of intense physical exertion, H+ accumulates. More energy created to physically accommodate intense exercise means more H+ ions in the tissues. Excessive H+ accumulations cause intramuscular pH levels to drop sharply.

When muscle pH levels drop to acidic (< 7), muscle acidosis results. We experience this as a “burning” sensation in the muscles, which can make it difficult to continue exercise at a high level of intensity.

Acidic muscle tissues are not able to contract effectively. Fatigue results, endurance is lost and strength is diminished.

Supplementing the diet with pure beta alanine causes carnosine levels to elevate inside the muscles. Carnosine acts to buffer H+ ion accumulations. By absorbing hydrogen protons, intramuscular pH is restored to optimal levels, and the muscle tissue regains its contractile capacities.

Clinical Proof for Pure Beta Alanine

Multiple human trials have shown certain benefits associated with routine administration of pure beta alanine supplements. Reduced muscle fatigue, increased total work completed, increased ventilatory threshold, increased time-to-exhaustion and other performance improvements have been reported.

In one double-blind study involving 37 college football players and wrestlers, pure beta alanine was tested for it anaerobic performance-enhancing potential.

After 8 weeks, treatment group subjects demonstrated improvements in flexed-arm hang and 300-yard shuttle run exercises. Improvements to body composition were also noted, including increased lean mass ratios. This is an indirect improvement as a result of increased exercise capacity.

Beta Alanine Anti-Aging Benefits

In the elderly, pure oral beta alanine capsules are used to support physical functionality and to help maintain quality of life. One study involved 18 subjects between the ages of 60 and 80 years.

12 randomly-assigned treatment group (TG) members received 3.2 grams of pure beta alanine each day for 12 weeks. Two 800 mg sustained-release capsules were given twice daily. The remaining 6 subjects were assigned into a placebo group (PG).

Results from this study included:

• 12.2% increase in incremental time-to-exhaustion tests for TG (PG: +0.1%);
• 36.5% increase in submaximal time-to-exhaustion in TG (PG: +8.6%);
• 85.4% increase in muscle carnosine in TG subjects (PG: +7.2%);

Data from this study suggests that administration of pure beta alanine can increase intramuscular carnosine levels and enhance certain physical performance markers in elderly persons. This could mean better movement control, leading to less falls/accidents – and subsequent improvements to the quality of living.

Pure Beta Alanine Side Effects

Dietary supplements made from pure beta alanine only have one common side effect associated with them. It is called paresthesia and it goes away naturally within an hour or so.

Paresthesia is skin tingling, itching or “crawling”. It occurs when an individual takes too much beta alanine at once.

Many users enjoy the experience of mild and temporary paresthesia. They view at it as a sign that the supplement is active in their systems.

For those who do not wish to experience paresthesia, sustained release capsules are available. Alternately, the user can divide daily dosages into smaller doses taken three hours apart throughout the day.

Very rare reports of gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, skin and/or eye irritation are also noted in research studies.

Results from safety and tolerability studies on pure beta alanine are favorable. Up to 6.4 grams daily have been used for as long as 10 weeks with no side effects besides paresthesia. Older adults (over 55 years) have used 2.4-gram daily doses for 90 days with no ill effects caused.

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