Beta-alanine

NutraPedia - Evidence-Based Supplement Research

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Health Goals: energy muscle weight

Research Overview

Research on β-alanine has most heavily focused on its mechanistic role as the rate-limiting precursor for intramuscular carnosine and the downstream implications for acid–base buffering during high-intensity exercise. Accordingly, the most studied outcomes are performance or capacity measures in maximal or supramaximal efforts lasting roughly ~0.5–10 minutes, including cycling time-to-exhaustion tests, repeated high-intensity contraction protocols, and sprint-trained athlete models, alongside direct verification of increased muscle carnosine (e.g., via proton MRS). A smaller set of studies has examined combinations with other buffering or ergogenic agents (e.g., sodium bicarbonate, creatine) and, to a lesser extent, resistance-training outcomes and endocrine responses.

The strongest evidence supports that chronic β-alanine supplementation reliably increases skeletal muscle carnosine and produces small-to-moderate improvements in high-intensity exercise outcomes, particularly for efforts in the ~60–240 s range and extending beyond 240 s in some analyses. Meta-analytic evidence indicates β-alanine improves exercise “capacity” measures more consistently than “performance” measures (i.e., time-to-exhaustion or total work benefits are more robust than improvements in time-trial/race outcomes). Individual trials align with this pattern: improvements are observed in high-intensity cycling capacity and attenuation of fatigue in repeated exhaustive dynamic contractions, while null findings are reported for some sport-specific or highly anaerobic tasks (e.g., repeated 5-s sprint protocols and 400-m running time), suggesting task duration, outcome type, and test sensitivity strongly moderate observed effects.

Key areas needing further research include (1) clearer translation to real-world competitive performance endpoints (time trials, race times, match-play metrics) versus laboratory capacity tests; (2) better characterization of responders/non-responders and moderators such as training status, baseline carnosine, diet, and exercise modality; and (3) additive or synergistic effects with co-supplementation strategies (e.g., sodium bicarbonate or creatine), where preliminary findings suggest possible benefit but are not consistently statistically robust. Additional gaps include more rigorous work in resistance training contexts (only limited evidence is represented here), broader participant diversity (beyond trained young men), and standardized protocols for dose, duration, and outcome selection to improve comparability across studies.

1. What conditions has Beta-alanine been studied for?

  • Exercise performance (ergogenic aid), especially efforts where muscle acidosis (H+ accumulation) may limit performance, via increasing intramuscular carnosine (buffering).

  • High-intensity cycling capacity / time-to-exhaustion (e.g., cycling at 110% of maximal power; time to exhaustion and total work).

  • Maximal-intensity efforts lasting ~0.5–10 minutes in trained young men (systematic review of RCTs).

  • Repeated sprint / repeated high-intensity efforts (e.g., repeated 5-second sprints with short recovery; repeated bouts of maximal knee extensions).

  • Submaximal endurance thresholds such as ventilatory threshold (VT), lactate threshold/OBLA (onset of blood lactate accumulation), and fatigue threshold measures during incremental tests.

  • Resistance training muscular endurance (e.g., repeated squat sets at 70% 1RM; total reps and mean power).

  • Combination strategies including beta-alanine plus creatine monohydrate, and beta-alanine plus sodium bicarbonate.

  • Physiologic endpoint: muscle carnosine loading measured directly in muscle (proton MRS) in sprint-trained athletes.

2. Does it work in treating those conditions? Summarize the evidence.

  • Overall exercise capacity/performance: modest average benefit, strongest in certain durations.

    A meta-analysis of 15 manuscripts (360 participants) found beta-alanine improved exercise outcomes more than placebo (median effect size 0.374 vs 0.108; P=0.002), with a median ~2.85% improvement in an exercise outcome after a median total dose of 179 g. The analysis suggested improvement in exercise capacity (P=0.013) but not clearly in exercise performance (P=0.204), indicating benefits may be more consistent for “time-to-exhaustion/total work” type tests than for time-trial/race performance.

  • Best-supported window: high-intensity efforts lasting ~60–240 seconds (and possibly longer).

    In the meta-analysis, exercise lasting 60–240 s improved (P=0.001) and >240 s improved (P=0.046), while <60 s did not (P=0.312). This aligns with the buffering mechanism (carnosine) being most relevant when acidosis accumulates.

  • High-intensity cycling capacity: positive RCT evidence.

    In a 4-week trial (6.4 g/day), beta-alanine improved cycling time-to-exhaustion at 110% power max: TTE increased ~12.1% with beta-alanine + maltodextrin (BAMD) and ~16.2% with beta-alanine + sodium bicarbonate (BASB), with beta-alanine conditions significantly improved vs pre-supplementation (P ≤ 0.01). Adding sodium bicarbonate produced an additional ~4.1% TTE increase vs beta-alanine alone, but this was not statistically significant (P=0.74), though authors noted magnitude-based inference suggesting a meaningful probability of benefit.

  • Submaximal thresholds (OBLA/VT/fatigue threshold): mixed but generally supportive in some populations.

    In recreationally active men, 28 days of 6 g/day beta-alanine shifted OBLA to higher intensity (HR@OBLA and %VO2max@OBLA increased; both P<0.05), suggesting delayed lactate accumulation. However, VO2max decreased in the beta-alanine group (P<0.01), complicating interpretation.

    In women, 28 days improved ventilatory threshold (+13.9%), physical working capacity at fatigue threshold (+12.6%), and time-to-exhaustion (+2.5%) (all p<0.05), with no VO2max change.

  • Repeated sprint performance: not consistently improved.

    A 5-week study in physically active college men (4 g/day week 1; 6 g/day weeks 2–5) found no benefit for repeated 5-second sprint performance (no between-group differences in peak/mean power or fatigue indices; lactate unchanged).

    In sprint-trained athletes, 4 weeks of 4.8 g/day increased muscle carnosine substantially (soleus +47%, gastrocnemius +37%) and improved torque in later bouts of repeated maximal knee extensions, but did not improve isometric endurance or 400-m time.

  • Resistance training muscular endurance: positive small RCT evidence.

    In experienced resistance-trained men, 30 days of 4.8 g/day improved squat workout performance: a 22% difference (p<0.05) in total repetitions between beta-alanine and placebo, and greater change in mean power in beta-alanine vs placebo. Acute endocrine responses (growth hormone, testosterone, cortisol) did not differ between groups.

  • Beta-alanine + creatine for endurance indices: uncertain.

    In a 4-week study comparing placebo, creatine, beta-alanine, and beta-alanine+creatine, there were no significant group effects on graded cycling test outcomes. However, within the combined group (CrBA), several parameters improved over time (5 of 8 measures), leading authors to suggest potential benefit, but the lack of significant group effects limits confidence.

3. What health benefits does it have?

  • Performance-related (most supported): improved high-intensity exercise capacity.

    Across the meta-analysis and multiple RCTs, beta-alanine tends to improve capacity measures (e.g., time-to-exhaustion, total work) particularly for efforts lasting ~1–10 minutes and for some >4 minute tests (systematic review effect size overall 0.39; 95% CI 0.09–0.69; p=.01; with stronger effects reported for 4–10 min efforts).

  • Delayed fatigue via increased muscle carnosine (mechanistic/physiologic benefit).

    In sprint-trained athletes, beta-alanine increased muscle carnosine by ~37–47% over 4 weeks (proton MRS), and attenuated fatigue in later bouts of repeated dynamic contractions (knee extensions), consistent with improved intramuscular buffering.

  • Improved submaximal threshold markers in some studies.

    Studies reported improvements in ventilatory threshold and fatigue threshold in women, and a rightward shift in OBLA in recreationally active men, suggesting beta-alanine may allow sustaining higher submaximal intensity before lactate accumulation/ventilatory strain.

  • Muscular endurance during resistance training.

    One small RCT found improved total repetitions and mean power during repeated squat sets after 30 days of supplementation.

Important limitation: these abstracts primarily address exercise performance outcomes, not clinical disease treatment. “Health benefits” here largely mean functional/fitness benefits rather than therapeutic effects on medical conditions.

4. Does it have any downsides or side effects?

  • Potential reduction in VO2max reported in one study.

    In the OBLA treadmill study, VO2max decreased in the beta-alanine group after 28 days (P<0.01) while placebo did not. This is not a commonly emphasized finding in broader beta-alanine literature, but within these abstracts it is a notable potential downside and may reflect measurement variability, training changes, or other uncontrolled factors.

  • Body mass increase reported in one study.

    The same OBLA study reported a small but statistically significant increase in body mass in the beta-alanine group (P<0.05). The magnitude was small, and the abstract does not establish causality or mechanism.

  • GI/tingling side effects not described in these abstracts.

    Commonly known side effects of beta-alanine (e.g., paresthesia/tingling at higher single doses) are not mentioned in the provided abstracts, so no abstract-based estimate of frequency/severity can be given here.

  • Combination with sodium bicarbonate may increase lactate and alkalosis markers (expected physiologic effects).

    In the beta-alanine + sodium bicarbonate cycling study, bicarbonate elevated pre-exercise blood bicarbonate (P≤0.001) and lactate responses were highest in bicarbonate conditions. This reflects altered acid-base status; the abstract does not report adverse symptoms, but sodium bicarbonate is often associated with GI upset (not assessed/reported here).

5. Is it beneficial or harmful for any genetic variations (pharmacogenomics)?

No pharmacogenomic findings are provided in the abstracts.

  • No evidence here linking beta-alanine response or adverse effects to specific genetic variants.

  • Based on these abstracts alone, it is not possible to say whether any genotype (e.g., variants affecting carnosine synthesis, transport, or acid-base regulation) predicts benefit or harm.

References

  1. Effects of 28 days of beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate supplementation on aerobic power, ventilatory and lactate thresholds, and time to exhaustion
    R F Zoeller, J R Stout, J A O'kroy, D J Torok, M Mielke (2007)
  2. Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis
    R M Hobson, B Saunders, G Ball, R C Harris, C Sale (2012)
  3. Effect of β-alanine plus sodium bicarbonate on high-intensity cycling capacity
    Craig Sale, Bryan Saunders, Sean Hudson, John A Wise, Roger C Harris (2011)
  4. The effect of beta-alanine supplementation on power performance during repeated sprint activity
    Kaitlin M Sweeney, Glenn A Wright, A Glenn Brice, Scott T Doberstein (2010)
  5. beta-Alanine supplementation augments muscle carnosine content and attenuates fatigue during repeated isokinetic contraction bouts in trained sprinters
    Wim Derave, Mahir S Ozdemir, Roger C Harris, Andries Pottier, Harmen Reyngoudt (2007)
  6. Effect of Beta-Alanine Supplementation on Maximal Intensity Exercise in Trained Young Male Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    George D Georgiou, Kyriaki Antoniou, Stephanie Antoniou, Eleni Anna Michelekaki, Reza Zare (2024)
  7. Beta-alanine and the hormonal response to exercise
    J Hoffman, N A Ratamess, R Ross, J Kang, J Magrelli (2008)
  8. Effect of beta-alanine supplementation on the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) during treadmill running: Pre/post 2 treatment experimental design
    Thomas Jordan, Judith Lukaszuk, Mark Misic, Josephine Umoren (2010)
  9. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on the onset of neuromuscular fatigue and ventilatory threshold in women
    J R Stout, J T Cramer, R F Zoeller, D Torok, P Costa (2007)
  10. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on endurance performance and body composition in men; a double-blind trial
    Abbie E Smith, Ashley A Walter, Jennifer L Graef, Kristina L Kendall, Jordan R Moon (2009)
  11. Effects of twenty-eight days of beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate supplementation on the physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold
    Jeffrey R Stout, Joel T Cramer, Michelle Mielke, Joseph O'Kroy, Don J Torok (2006)
  12. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on body composition: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis
    Damoon Ashtary-Larky, Reza Bagheri, Matin Ghanavati, Omid Asbaghi, Alexei Wong (2022)
  13. Six weeks of high-intensity interval training with and without beta-alanine supplementation for improving cardiovascular fitness in women
    Ashley A Walter, Abbie E Smith, Kristina L Kendall, Jeffrey R Stout, Joel T Cramer (2010)
  14. Important role of muscle carnosine in rowing performance
    Audrey Baguet, Jan Bourgois, Lander Vanhee, Eric Achten, Wim Derave (2010)
  15. β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis
    Bryan Saunders, Kirsty Elliott-Sale, Guilherme G Artioli, Paul A Swinton, Eimear Dolan (2017)
  16. Effects of Beta-Alanine Supplementation on Physical Performance in Aerobic-Anaerobic Transition Zones: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    Álvaro Huerta Ojeda, Camila Tapia Cerda, María Fernanda Poblete Salvatierra, Guillermo Barahona-Fuentes, Carlos Jorquera Aguilera (2020)
  17. Effects of β-alanine supplementation on performance and body composition in collegiate wrestlers and football players
    Ben D Kern, Tracey L Robinson (2011)
  18. Short-duration beta-alanine supplementation increases training volume and reduces subjective feelings of fatigue in college football players
    Jay R Hoffman, Nicholas A Ratamess, Avery D Faigenbaum, Ryan Ross, Jie Kang (2008)
  19. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on Yo-Yo test performance: A meta-analysis
    Jozo Grgic (2021)
  20. The effect of beta-alanine supplementation on neuromuscular fatigue in elderly (55-92 Years): a double-blind randomized study
    Jeffrey R Stout, B Sue Graves, Abbie E Smith, Michael J Hartman, Joel T Cramer (2008)


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