Beta-Alanine
Supplementation
Improves Aerobic and
Anaerobic Indices of
Performance
Jacob M. Wilson, MS, CSCS,1 Gabriel J. Wilson, MS, CSCS,2 Michael C. Zourdos, MS, CSCS,1
Abbie E. Smith, MS, CSCS, CISSN,3 and Jeffery R. Stout, PhD, CSCS3
1
Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida; 2Division of
Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois; and 3Department of Health and Exercise Science, University
of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
SUMMARY
BETA-ALANINE SUPPLEMENTATION HAS BEEN FOUND TO
INCREASE INTRAMUSCULAR
CARNOSINE, STRENGTH, POWER,
VOLUME PER TRAINING SESSION
AND A HOST OF OTHER INDICES
OF AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC
CAPACITY. HOWEVER, THERE IS
A NEED TO SYNTHESIZE THIS
RESEARCH SO THAT THE ATHLETE
AND STRENGTH COACH ALIKE
CAN OPTIMALLY BENEFIT FROM
BETA-ALANINE SUPPLEMENTATION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO PROVIDE AN ANALYSIS
OF STUDIES CONDUCTED ON
BETA-ALANINE. THE REVIEW WILL
COVER THE OPTIMAL DOSAGE OF
BETA-ALANINE; ITS USE IN RESISTANCE TRAINING, INTERMITTENT,
AND ENDURANCE-BASED EXERCISES; AND WHEN COMBINED
WITH CREATINE IN TRAINED AND
UNTRAINED INDIVIDUALS.
T
he human body is endowed
with the capacity to adapt to
training such that it can
maintain low to moderately high contractions for extended periods. For
example, the world record marathon
time is 2:03:59 run by Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia. At the opposite end
of the spectrum, strength and power
athletes can exert extreme torques and
forces such that today a 1,000 lb back
squat is no longer unthinkable in the
world of powerlifting. In between these
extremes lie sports such as hockey,
basketball, and speed skating, which
require brief intermittent bouts of highintensity activity. Although the time
to fatigue differs among categories of
activities, the end result of each are
declines in force generating capacity
and ultimately impairments in performance. While fatigue is characterized
by a decrease in energy stores (adenosine triphosphate, phosphocreatine,
and glycogenic substrates) and the
intracellular accumulation of metabolites (adenosine diphosphate, inorganic
phosphate, hydrogen ions [H+], and
magnesium), 2 primary mechanisms
thought to underlie fatigue include the
accumulation of H+ ions and oxidative
stress. An acute accumulation of H+
results in a decrease in intramuscular
pH, which may contribute to fatigue in
Copyright Ó National Strength and Conditioning Association
some models of exercise. Chronically,
intense training can stimulate oxidative
stress, with both excess H+ and oxidative stress demonstrating to impair
excitation-contraction coupling (EC
coupling) processes, leading to reported decrements in force.
An athletes’ ability to resist fatigue may
determine the intensity and duration of
their training and ultimately dictate
performance outcomes. Resistance to
fatigue is thought to be limited, in part,
by intramuscular concentrations of
carnosine (29). Carnosine appears to
enhance fatigue resistance by a conglomeration of factors including an
increased
physiological
buffering
capacity (22), decreased oxidative stress
(18), and through the direct facilitation
of EC coupling processes (2). Isolated
KEY WORDS:
beta-alanine; carnosine;
contraction/physiology; muscle
strength/physiology;
muscle/skeletal physiology;
beta-alanine administration and
dosage pharmacokinetics; carnosine
metabolism; dietary supplement
Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-lift.org
71
Beta-Alanine Supplementation
skeletal muscle fiber studies suggest
that the EC coupling response and its
maintenance over multiple bouts of
stimulation is optimized at a neutral
pH (7.1) and degrades when tested at
an acidic pH (e.g., 6.1) (22). Intramuscular concentrations of lactate and H+
rise as individual’s reliance on glycolysis increases. Research, however, indicates that large amounts of lactate can
accumulate without impairing function
in the presence of carnosine, thus
supporting its role as a physiological
buffer (24). In addition to its role as
a buffer, carnosine has been demonstrated to lower oxidative damage to
lipids and proteins, which theoretically
should delay fatigue induced losses
of contractile function (18). Finally,
exposure of isolated muscle fibers to
carnosine may sensitize Ca++ release
channels (ryanodine 1 receptors) to
various stimuli such as caffeine and
Ca++ (2).
Carnosine is synthesized by carnosine
synthase from the amino acids betaalanine and histidine. Plasma and
intramuscular concentrations of histidine are high relative to its Michaelis–
Menten constant (Km) with carnosine
synthase (Km = 0.0168 mM), whereas
beta-alanine concentration is lower
and has a much higher Km for
carnosine synthase (Km = 1.0–2.3 mM)
(14,23). This low Km demonstrates
a smaller amount of beta-alanine
availability than needed for carnosine
synthesis. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that supplementing with an
isomolar concentration of carnosine
(i.e., equal amounts of histidine and
beta-alanine) is no more effective at
increasing carnosine levels than betaalanine supplementation alone (9). For
this reason, beta-alanine is thought to
be limiting to carnosine synthesis. As
such, a number of recent studies have
investigated the effects of beta-alanine
supplementation on intramuscular carnosine concentrations and changes in
exercise performance (8–10). Intriguingly, beta-alanine supplementation
has been found to increase intramuscular carnosine levels (8–10), strength
(11–13), power (30), volume per
72
training session (11–13), and a host of
other indices of aerobic and anaerobic
capacity (31). However, there is a need
to synthesize this research so that the
athlete and strength coach alike can
optimally benefit from beta-alanine
supplementation. The purpose of this
review is to provide an analysis of
studies conducted on beta-alanine. The
review will cover the optimal dosage of
beta-alanine and its use in resistance
training, intermittent, and endurancebased exercises in trained and untrained
individuals. An additional section is
provided to discuss the possible role
that creatine may have in augmenting
the effects of beta-alanine.
OPTIMIZING THE DOSE AND
FREQUENCY OF BETA-ALANINE
Thus far, human research has been
limited to a range of 1.6–6.4 gram doses
of beta-alanine daily for 28 days
(9,10). Within this range, the amino
acid appears to increase intramuscular
carnosine concentrations in dosedependent fashion. For example, 3.2
and 6.4 grams of beta-alanine per day
increased the carnosine content of the
vastus lateralis by 42 and 61%, respectively (9,10). In the latter, it was
estimated that the total muscle buffering capacity of carnosine would have
increased from 9 to 14%. When
fractionated into fiber types, carnosine
increased buffering capacity from 6.4
and 11.2 to 10 and 18% in type I and II
muscle fibers, respectively. Changes in
intramuscular carnosine are also time
dependent, demonstrated by elevations
in carnosine concentrations of active
males by 58 and 80% at 4 and 10 weeks of
beta-alanine (3.2–6.4 g/kg/d) supplementation, respectively.
The daily dose of beta-alanine appears
to be limited by the flushing symptoms
experienced by its users. This was
illustrated by Harris et al. (9) who
found that a single 3.2 gram bolus of
beta-alanine resulted in a flushing sensation characterized by a skin-deep,
prickly, irritating reaction, which radiated from the ears, scalp, upper trunk,
and finally, the base of the spine (i.e.,
paresthesia). Although lower in severity, these symptoms were still present
VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 1 | FEBRUARY 2010
at half the dosage but were only mild
and experienced by 25% of participants
at 0.8-g servings. The flushing effect
from beta-alanine supplementation is
because of the release of histidine,
to form carnosine. This is a similar
response to a release of histamines
during an allergic reaction; although
the effect is not toxic and does not
affect everyone, it is uncomfortable. For
this reason, scientists have administered beta-alanine in frequent (every 3
hours) and small boluses (0.8 g) over
the duration of the day until the desired
dose is reached (8–10). Three-hour
spacing between dosing was chosen
because beta-alanine returns to baseline levels after this time. More recently,
a controlled release formula has been
administered at 1.6 grams 4 times per
day for 4 week to reduce flushing
symptoms. At this high dose, no symptoms of paresthesia were reported (31).
In summary, within the range of doses
(1.6–6.4 grams) tested thus far, betaalanine appears to increase intramuscular
carnosine levels in a dose-dependent
fashion and in a 28-day loading phase.
However, because of flushing effects,
a single serving is generally limited to
0.8 grams, administered every 3 hours
until the desired dose is reached.
BETA-ALANINE FOR RESISTANCE
TRAINING ATHLETES
Resistance training exercise is the
direct tool of the powerlifter, weightlifter, and bodybuilder, as well as an
indirect means of increasing performance in nearly every sport. Generally,
repetitions for strength/power and
hypertrophy are thought to lie within
the 1–5 and 8–12 ranges, respectively
(20). The former is primarily reliant on
immediate phosphagen (ATP-CP) energy production for contraction,
whereas the latter causes the individual
to depend primarily on glycolytic
energy production. Although betaalanine supplementation during 4–10
weeks of resistance training has resulted in an increase in training volume
and strength, it appears to be optimized under moderately high repetition ranges (8–12% or 70–85% 1
repetition maximum), which use short
rest periods (30–90 seconds) (11,12).
To illustrate, 30 days of beta-alanine
supplementation (4.8 g/day) in experienced resistance-trained men placed on
a moderately high–intensity training
regimen, with short rest periods (1.5
minutes), led to a 22% increase in total
training volume per workout. Furthermore, Hoffman et al. (12) demonstrated
significant increases in training volume
for 4 sets (6–8 repetitions [reps]) for
bench press with individuals supplementing with beta-alanine. In contrast,
a more recent 10-week long study
using a higher intensity level of training
(e.g., 5 3 5 on squats and bench press
exercises) with longer rest periods
(2–5 minutes) resulted in no significant
changes in any indices of strength or
lean body mass (LBM) (15). Possible
explanations for these results were the
longer rest periods (2–5 minutes) and
limited resistance training experience in
this group of athletes.
It has been suggested that greater
training volume resulting from betaalanine supplementation may augment
endocrine responses. However, no
changes in endocrine responses both
at rest and after resistance training
exercise have been found for growth
hormone, testosterone, blood lactate,
cortisol, IGF-1, or sex hormone–
binding globulin (11,13).
Thus far beta-alanine alone has had not
led to significant changes in LBM
(12,13,15). It is possible that this outcome may be attributed to an inadequate
training stimulus or length of time over
which studies have been conducted. For
example, Hoffman et al. (13) found that
neither control or beta-alanine groups
were able to increase LBM after 4 weeks
of training in experienced weightlifters.
In such cases, a long duration periodized
strength routine may be necessary to
accurately examine the effects of betaalanine on LBM.
BETA-ALANINE FOR BRIEF
INTERMITTENT/INTERVAL
TRAINING EXERCISE
Brief, intermittent, high-intensity exercise is generally characterized by
maximal work outputs within a 30to 120-second time frame. This type of
exercise results in the accumulation of
large amounts of lactate, H+, and other
metabolites and thus theoretically may
be positively influenced with betaalanine supplementation. In a recent
study, active males were asked to cycle
at 110% of their mean power output
obtained during the final 60 seconds of
an incremental cycling test to exhaustion (10). Mean cycling time to exhaustion was 156 seconds pretest and
increased by 12 and 16% after 4 and
10 weeks of supplementation. Intriguingly, these changes paralleled the
increase seen in intramuscular carnosine concentrations, which rose by 58
to 80% at weeks 4 and 10, respectively.
Likewise, trained sprint athletes supplementing with 4.8 grams of betaalanine daily increased average torque
during the final 2 sets of 5 maximal sets
of 30 isokinetic contractions (5). However, 400-m sprint time was not increased, suggesting that this event may
not be limited by H+ buffering capacity
in highly trained sprinters. Moreover,
recent literature suggests compounded
improvements when combining betaalanine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on endurance
performance (V_ O2max), time to exhaustion during a graded exercise test,
and total work done at supramaximal
workloads (110%) (24). Furthermore,
this training-supplementing strategy
may foster an environment for greater
training volume at moderate and high
intensities, possibly leading to considerable physiological adaptations.
BETA-ALANINE
SUPPLEMENTATION FOR
ENDURANCE EXERCISE
Endurance exercise is limited by maximal aerobic capacity (V_ O2max), economy, and the percentage of an athlete’s
V_ O2max that can be maintained for
a given race (3). The final factor is
largely dependent on lactate threshold
(LT). LT is thought to lead to a nonlinear increase in ventilation (ventilatory threshold [VT]) and the onset of
neuromuscular fatigue. Stout et al. (26–
28) have investigated the effects of
beta-alanine
supplementation
on
a number of variables underlying
aerobic capacity and neuromuscular
fatigue. These researchers found that
28 days of beta-alanine supplementation (3.2 g/d) in untrained males
resulted in a 16% increase in physical
working capacity at neuromuscular
fatigue in a continuous cycling bout.
Similarly, untrained females increased
physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue by 13%, with concomitant elevations in VT (14%) and
cycling time to exhaustion (2.5%).
These results suggest that beta-alanine
supplementation alone may allow endurance athletes to perform at a higher
percentage of their maximal aerobic
capacity before experiencing fatigue.
THE ADDITION OF CREATINE TO
BETA-ALANINE
Creatine supplementation has been
demonstrated to decrease blood lactic
acid accumulation during high-intensity and submaximal exercises (1,21).
The rationale is based on augmented
phosphocreatine (PCr) concentrations
lowering the reliance on glycolysis
during intermittent exercise, thereby
lowering lactate accumulation. Moreover, there is recent data using animal
models suggesting that creatine may
increase intramuscular carnosine levels,
perhaps by acting as a free radical
scavenger and sparing carnosine from
this process (4). Because the administration of creatine may facilitate the
maintenance of muscle pH during
exercise, researchers have postulated
that it may support beta-alanine
supplementation.
In this context, Zoeller et al. (31) found
that beta-alanine and creatine alone
were able to increase 1–2 indices of
aerobic capacity, whereas the combination of the 2 increased 5 of 8 indices.
These included an increase in LT and
VT (5.7–8%), power at LT and VT (9–
10.5%), and V_ O2peak at VT (7.8%).
The combined effects of beta-alanine
and creatine have extended to the
resistance training domain. Alone,
beta-alanine has been able to increase
training volume and strength, without
any effects on LBM (11). It is intriguing
to note that when combined with
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VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 1 | FEBRUARY 2010
Authors
Participants
Dosage/duration
Biochemistry
Performance
Body composition
Derave
et al. (5)
15 male national level 400-m
sprint–trained athletes
(age = 24 y)
4.8 g BA or P daily
for 4 wk
Carnosine increased by 47
and 37% in soleus and
gastrocnemius,
respectively
Knee extension torque improved
4–6% in ninth and fifth bout of
30 maximal knee extensions. No
change in isometric endurance
and 400-m race time
NR
Hill
et al. (10)
25 physically active male
college students
(age = 25–29 y)
6.4 g BA or P daily
for 4–10 wk
Muscle carnosine
increased 58–80%
after 4–10 wk,
respectively
Total work done on bicycle increased
by 10–13% after 4–10 wk,
respectively
No change in body
mass
Hoffman
et al. (11)
33 male college football
players
10.5 g creatine daily
or 3.2 g of BA, or
P for 10 wk, while
performance
resistance training
4 d weekly
Creatine increased resting
testosterone by 20%; no
other changes in IGF-1,
growth hormone, or sex
hormone–binding
globulin were observed
Greater strength gains with either
creatine or creatine + BA than
placebo. Addition of BA increased
training volume and delayed
fatigue
BA + creatine resulted
in greater increase in
LBM (+1.74 kg) than
creatine or placebo.
No differences in fat
mass
Hoffman
et al. (12)
8 experienced
resistance-trained
males (age = 20 y)
4.8 g BA daily or P
for 4 wk
No differences in growth
hormone, testosterone,
blood lactate, or cortisol
22% increase in total number of
repetitions’ post versus pre
supplementation with BA on 6 sets
of squats at 70% 1RM. 2% increase
in peak power, 10% increase in
mean power. No differences in,
1RM squat, or body mass
No differences in body
mass
Hoffman
et al. (13)
26 collegiate male football
players (age = 20 y)
4.5 g of BA daily or
P 3 wk before and
9 d into football
training camp
NR
No differences in peak power,
mean power, or total work on
Wingate test. No differences in
squat or bench training intensity;
No differences in perception of
soreness or practice intensity but
15% decrease in perception of
fatigue
NR
Kendrick
et al. (15)
26 active male Vietnamese
sports science students
(age = 22 y). No resistance
training experience
6.4 g BA or P daily
during 10 wk of
resistance training
13% increase in muscle
carnosine with BA; no
change with resistance
training alone
No group differences in force or
strength production
No group differences
in body mass or %
body fat
Beta-Alanine Supplementation
74
Table
Experimental results with beta-alanine supplementation
Table
(continued)
Authors
Participants
Dosage/duration
Biochemistry
Performance
Body composition
Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-lift.org
Kendrick
et al. (16)
14 physical active male
Vietnamese physical
education students
(age = 22 y)
6.4 g of BA or P daily
during 4 wk of
isokinetic training of
the right leg; with
an untrained control
of the left leg
52% increase in muscle
carnosine for trained+
supplemented; 28%
increase in untrained
leg + supplemented.
However, difference
between legs not
significant
NR
NR
Kern and
Robinson
(17)
22 Division II collegiate
wrestlers; 15 collegiate
football players
4 g BA or PL for 8 wk
NR
Wrestlers = no significant
improvements with BA
supplementation; Football
players = significantly faster
300-m shuttle run time;
significantly longer flexed arm
hang
Wrestlers = lost BW but
significantly increase
LBM with BA (PL lost
LBM). Football = 2.1 lb
increase in LBM
compared with 1.1 lb
for PL
Smith
et al. (24)
46 recreationally active
(1–4 times exercise weekly)
men (age = 22 y)
Untrained/
unsupplemented
control or 6.4 g of
BA daily or placebo
while performing
bicycle intervals for
3 wk for 6 wk
NR
Interval trained delayed
neuromuscular fatigue and
increased neuromuscular
efficiency. No supplemental effect
NR
Smith
et al. (24)
46 recreationally active
men (age = 22 y)
Placebo 3.0 g increase
to 6.0 g BA daily
combined with
6 weeks HIIT
NR
_ 2max
Significant increase in VO
and TTE
No change in % body fat;
Significant increase in
LBM for the BA group
only
Stout
et al. (25)
51 untrained men
(age = 24 y)
Placebo, 3.2 g of BA,
10.5 g/d CrM, or
both BA+CrM
NR
16% decrease in neuromuscular
fatigue during continuous biking
with BA supplementation. No
additive effect with CrM
NR
Stout
et al. (26)
22 untrained females
(age = 26–29 y)
6.4 g/d of BA or
placebo for 4 wk
NR
BA resulted in 14% increase in VT,
12.5% delay in neuromuscular
fatigue, 2.5% decreased time to
exhaustion. No difference in
maximal oxygen consumption
No significant changes in
body mass
(continued)
75
76
VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 1 | FEBRUARY 2010
BA = beta-alanine; BW = body weight; Cr = creatine; CrM = creatine monohydrate; HIIT = high-intensity interval training; IGF = insulin-like growth factor; LBM = lean body mass; LT = lactate
threshold; NR = not reported; P = placebo; RM = repetition maximum; TTE = time to exhaustion; VT = ventilatory threshold.
Statistics reported are means and percent changes. Differences are reported within group.
NR
Cr improved 2 of 8 measures of
cardiovascular fitness; BA only 1.
Cr + BA improved 5 of 8;
specifically, vdoto2max at LT and
VT by 5.7–8%, respectively; power
at LT and VT by 9–10.5%,
_ 2peak at
respectively. VO
VT by 7.8%. No effect on
_ 2peak at or below LT or TTE
VO
NR
10.5 g/d Cr, 3.2 g/d
BA, both Cr+BA,
or placebo
55 untrained men
(age = 25 y)
Zoeller
et al. (30)
NR
28.6% improvement in physical
working capacity at the fatigue
threshold
NR
2.4 g of BA daily for
90 d. Performed
discontinuous cycle
ergometer test
pre and post
supplementation
26 male and female elderly
people (age = 72 y)
Stout
et al. (27)
Biochemistry
Dosage/duration
Participants
Authors
Table
(continued)
Performance
Body composition
Beta-Alanine Supplementation
creatine, this supplement has resulted
in greater increases in strength, training
volume, and LBM, compared with
both a creatine only and placebo
conditions (11).
In summary, it appears that the
addition of creatine to beta-alanine, in
both aerobic and resistance exercise
trainings, may provide greater benefits
than with separate supplementation of
each. More research is needed to show
whether these effects are synergistic or
simply additive.
BETA-ALANINE
SUPPLEMENTATION—MODERATOR
VARIABLES (AGE, SEX, AND
TRAINING EXPERIENCE)
The majority of studies using betaalanine supplementation have been
conducted in young (age = 20–29
years) males. We were only able to
locate one study in young untrained
women. Similar to young men, women
who supplemented with beta-alanine
improved their gains in LT, VT,
neuromuscular fatigue, and time to
exhaustion (27).
Age, however, does appear to moderate the effects of beta-alanine. While
men and women have demonstrated
12–15% increases in work capacity at
neuromuscular fatigue (26,27), elderly
men and women demonstrate nearly
double the increase (28%) (28). According to Stout et al. (28), this may reflect
lower starting levels of intramuscular
carnosine (45% lower) relative to
young individuals.
A final variable is training experience.
Sprinters and bodybuilders have demonstrated higher carnosine concentrations than endurance athletes and
untrained individuals (19,30), yet research has established that 4–10 weeks
of resistance and/or interval training is
not effective for augmenting carnosine
levels (15,16). Although training alone
has failed to induce significant increases in carnosine levels, combining
beta-alanine supplementation with
training has stimulated a 2-fold increase in carnosine levels, compared
with beta-alanine supplementation
alone (6,8). Notably, the change in
intramuscular carnosine levels with
beta-alanine supplementation appears
to be similar between trained and relatively untrained individuals (5,10,15),
illustrating the practicality in both
populations. However, it is difficult to
quantify differences in the effectiveness
of beta-alanine between trained and
untrained individuals because no direct
comparisons have been made.
Moreover, outcome measures have
differed between trained and untrained
subjects across the current body of literature. What is known is that supplementation has been demonstrated efficacious
regardless of training status (Table).
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
The goal of supplementation with
beta-alanine is to increase muscle
carnosine levels and ultimately augment performance. Carnosine is
thought to be a powerful hydrogen
ion buffer, thereby delaying the onset
of fatigue. Twelve studies reported in
this review investigated the effects of
beta-alanine on muscle carnosine and
various parameters of performance
(Table). Supplementation ranging from
3 to 6.5 g of beta-alanine daily, divided
into 0.8–1.6 g doses, for 4–10 weeks has
irrefutably augmented carnosine levels
by 30–80% (8–10,15).
For athletes, we recommend a dose
of 6.4 g daily, divided into four 1.6-g
doses throughout day. Dosing should
be spaced in a minimum of 3-hour
intervals so as to avoid negative
flushing effects. It may also be wise to
pyramid the dosage, starting from
lower (3.2 g/d) during the first week,
to moderate (4.8 g/d) during the
second week, to higher (6.4 g/d) the
remainder of the supplemental period
(9). For the athlete looking to enhance
performance during an event, it should
be realized that intramuscular carnosine concentrations increase over time
(e.g., from 4 to 10 weeks). Thus, we
recommend a minimum of 4 weeks
and optimally triple this time before
a competition (10). More so, it has
recently been shown that carnosine
levels remain elevated for up to 9
weeks devoid of supplementation (7).
Beta-alanine supplementation appears
to be optimized when lactate production is greatest. Therefore, resistance training athletes will most likely
experience the greatest increases in
volume and strength in a moderately
high–intensity (8–12 reps or 60–85%
repetition maximum) (11–13) as opposed to very high–intensity (1–5 reps
or 85–100% 1 repetition maximum)
(15) training regimen. Similarly, intermittent or interval training athletes
will experience greater gains when
performing over 30–90 seconds (e.g.,
hockey shift) than when performing the
100-m dash. We predict that endurance
athletes will benefit greatly when performing closer to their LT. It is also
important to note that these effects may
be magnified with increasing age (28).
Finally, beta-alanine combined with
creatine may augment performance to
a greater extent than when administered separately (11,26,31), most likely
as a result of a decreased accumulation
of H+ ions during submaximal and
maximal intensity exercises.
For scientists, we suggest that the
research continues to diversify its subject population and perform longer
experiments to ascertain if beta-alanine
with or without endurance and/or
resistance training results in changes
in body composition, strength, and
functionality across age spans over
a period of months to years. Furthermore, a sound research design implementing a double-blind, placebocontrolled, repeated measures design
comparing between-group differences
will be most valuable to the research
community.
Jacob M. Wilson
is a PhD candidate
and conducts
research in the
Department of
Nutrition, Food,
and Exercise Sciences at Florida State
University and is
president of abcbodybuilding.com.
Gabriel J.
Wilson is a
doctoral student in
the Division of
Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois and
is vice president of abcbodybuilding.com.
Michael C.
Zourdos is a
doctoral student
and conducts
research in the
Department of
Nutrition, Food,
and Exercise
Sciences at Florida State University.
Abbie E. Smith
is a doctoral
candidate in the
Metabolic and
Body Composition
Laboratory at the
University of
Oklahoma in the
Department of
Health and
Exercise Science.
Jeffery R. Stout
is currently an
associate professor
and director of the
Metabolic and
Body Composition
Laboratories in
the Department
of Health and
Exercise Science at the University of
Oklahoma.
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