ATP Science Beta Alanine

ATP Science Beta Alanine

Beta Alanine boasts the incredible ability to increase muscle carnosine better than carnosine itself! A humble amino acid that packs a tingling punch to skin too which beta alanine is very well known for. A great tool for vasodilatory effects with training, buffering acidic build up from metabolic processes incurred during exercise and reduces the early onset of fatigue especially in High intensity training. It is also a very effective inhibitor of Glycation where by sugars bind with proteins and oxidise causing damage to muscles, collagen and connective tissues.

Beta Alanine – for boosting muscle carnosine levels and performance

Beta alanine supplementation increases muscle carnosine better than taking carnosine itself. Muscle carnosine is an intramuscular acidity buffer and antioxidant. Beta alanine increases stamina and endurance by buffering metabolic acid and waste as it is made. This means less muscle pain and greater muscle performance.

During high intensity exercise, there is a greater reliance on ATP production from glycolysis and phosphagen systems resulting in an accumulation H+, which leads to exercise-induced metabolic acidosis. This acidity has been implicated as the cause of muscular fatigue and decreased muscle contractile function. By buffering exercise-induced acidity, muscle carnosine enhances performance. Especially in events with prolonged bouts of high intensity exercise.

Muscle carnosine works as:

• Intramuscular antioxidant
• Intramuscular buffer for exercise-induced acidity
• Regulates calcium sensitivity and excitation–contraction coupling. Calcium influx
• Triggers neuromuscular junctions and can trigger contractions, twitches, taps, cramps and spams. Carnosine can prevent muscle spasms, cramping and loss of coordination.
• Protects against glycation. Glycation is a process whereby sugars attach to proteins and oxidise, causing damage to muscles, collagen and connective tissue.

The Science of Beta Alanine

In a recent study, twenty-five active males were supplemented with 6.4 grams per day of beta alanine or a placebo for a 24 week period. Every 4 week participants provided a muscle biopsy and performed a high-intensity cycling capacity test. The study found that twenty-four weeks of beta alanine supplementation increased muscle carnosine content and improved high-intensity cycling capacity. The study also found that beta alanine plays an important role in muscle carnosine accumulation and production.¹