Beta-alanine supplementation has been scientifically proven to improve performance in certain types of sport … if you use it right. In this article, we delve into the science, benefits, safety, dosage recommendations, and whether beta-alanine is the right supplement for you. Remember, if you need more help with an injury, you're welcome to consult one of our physios online via video call.
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In this article:
Why is beta-alanine thought to enhance performance?
When we exercise at high intensity (anaerobic exercise), hydrogen ions accumulate in our muscles. This increases the acidity of our muscles (not to be confused with lactic acid build-up), which has a detrimental effect on muscle power and how soon the muscles become exhausted.
Beta-alanine (aka β-alanine) is one of the amino acids in our bodies from which a substance called carnosine is formed. Carnosine slows down the accumulation of hydrogen ions in our muscles. The people in the white lab coats say that carnosine acts as a “buffer” against hydrogen ion accumulation.
The amount of beta-alanine in our bodies determines how much carnosine can be manufactured, so supplementation with beta-alanine might increase the amount of carnosine in our muscles artificially.
💡 The thinking in sports circles is that the extra carnosine in their muscles will enable athletes to dodge the detrimental effect of the acidity caused by the hydrogen ions for longer.
Does beta-alanine actually work?
💡 There is a vast body of credible research that shows that beta-alanine does indeed enhance athletic performance … in certain sports.
Because it is mostly anaerobic exercise that produces the hydrogen ions, beta-alanine supplementation works best for high-intensity events ranging from 30 seconds to 10 minutes, and for team sports that require repeated bursts of high-intensity effort.
Examples mentioned in the research are:
a cycling race of 4 km
a rowing race of 2,000 m
swimming races of 100 m and 200 m
combat sports
and water polo.
Non-trained athletes tend to experience higher performance increases than trained athletes when they take a beta-alanine supplement.
Nevertheless, it is widely used by professional sportspeople. A survey in Australia among professional players of Australian Rules Football, rugby league, and rugby union found that 61% of them used a beta-alanine supplement.
However, most of them were not following the recommended usage (see below) and only 35% of the participants were able to correctly identify the potential benefits of beta-alanine supplementation.
Beta-alanine – is it safe and legal?
👍 In spite of its performance-enhancing qualities, beta-alanine supplementation is not banned by sporting bodies, probably because research indicates that it is safe.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition regards beta-alanine as safe at recommended doses (see below).
Side-effects
The only reported side-effect of beta-alanine is that it might cause temporary paraesthesia – also known as “pins and needles” (see below how to avoid this).
However, as for the long-term side effects of beta-alanine, a daily dose of 3.2 g for up to 24 weeks did not produce any negative side effects.
My recommendation
I’m into (very slow) endurance running, so beta-alanine will not do much for me.
But if you participate in the type of event mentioned above (high-intensity and shortish duration), I don’t see any harm in giving it a go.
How to take beta-alanine and how much?
The durations and recommended doses of beta-alanine supplementation in the research papers I consulted vary from 3.2 to 6.4 grams per day, taken for anything from 4 to 24 weeks. One of the research studies used a guideline of 65 mg of beta-alanine per kilogram of body weight per day, which would fall within this range of 3.2 to 6.4 grams per day for most adults.
If you do get pins and needles (see “Side effects” above), it is recommended that you split the total daily dosage into sub-doses of less than 1.6 grams each, or to split the total daily dosage in three and take it with each meal.
It seems that you should supplement daily for at least 4 weeks for the best effect.
And I wouldn’t do it for more than 24 weeks before giving it a rest for a while, because we have no scientific data on its safety for periods longer than that.
Below are some beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate options available on Amazon. I selected a small-dosage beta-alanine capsule (750 mg) to make it easier to split up your daily dosage if necessary.
Adding sodium bicarbonate into the mix
It seems from the research that supplementing with a combination of beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate improves the muscle acid buffering even more.
Sodium bicarbonate is alkaline and has been shown to counter the negative effects of lactic acid build-up during exercise.
💡 So, these two supplements go to work on the muscle acidity in different but complementary ways, and together they are more efficient than either of them on its own.
The sodium bicarbonate dosage in the study was 300 mg per kilogram of body weight, taken as a single dose 90 minutes before exercise. This corresponds with the recommendation in our article on how to use sodium bicarbonate as a supplement.
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About the Author
Maryke Louw is a chartered physiotherapist with more than 20 years' experience and a Master’s Degree in Sports Injury Management. Follow her on LinkedIn and ResearchGate.