BETA-ALANINE FAQ

WHAT IS BETA-ALANINE?

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that’s not found in great abundance in protein sources like chicken, beef, whey or fish. Therefore, its availability in the body is limited.

WHAT DOES BETA-ALANINE DO?

With the help of an enzyme called carnosine synthetase, beta-alanine combines with histidine, an essential amino acid, to form carnosine, an intramuscular dipeptide. Dipeptide is a fancy word that scientists use; it just means two amino acids combined. The conversion into carnosine is what’s important to athletes. Carnosine helps increase stamina, strength and muscular development, as well improve recovery.

WHAT DOES CARNOSINE DO?

During all-out, high-intensity sets, byproducts of exercise (i.e. hydrogen ions) accumulate in your muscles, where they interfere with and inhibit muscle contractions, reduce performance, cause fatigue and lead to the burning sensation you get in your muscles. Not good. Research has shown that carnosine, found primarily in your muscles, buffers hydrogen ions and delays their buildup, enabling you to train the muscle harder and longer, which will lead to superior results in muscle growth and strength.

WHY NOT SUPPLEMENT WITH CARNOSINE INSTEAD OF BETA-ALANINE?

Unfortunately, when you take straight carnosine, it gets broken down into histidine and beta-alanine by the enzyme called carnosinase. It’s not a complete waste because once inside the muscle, histidine and beta-alanine then reattach to form carnosine. Although, supplementing with beta-alanine alone has been shown to elevate carnosine levels significantly higher in the muscle than taking a carnosine supplement on its own.

IS BETA-ALANINE BETTER THAN CREATINE FOR MUSCLE AND STRENGTH GAINS?

Beta-alanine and creatine work differently in the body. So it isn’t suggested to discount one over the other. Instead, it’s recommended to combine the two. In fact, studies show that the combination of beta-alanine and creatine increases overall training volume significantly more than taking creatine on its own.

WHY DO I FEEL A TINGLING SENSATION AFTER TAKING BETA-ALANINE?

That’s a normal reaction to taking pure beta-alanine, which stimulates the nerves under the skin, and it’s the best indication that the supplement (e.g. BETASINE) actually contains the amino acid.