Beta-Alanine is a sports nutrition supplement that is particularly useful to those involved in exercise performance, such as athletes or bodybuilders.
It lends itself well to synthesizing L-Carnosine (a molecule that helps to buffer acid inactive muscles), a type of amino acid, and has been shown to increase the concentration of carnosine, resulting in improved muscular endurance and physical performance during high-intensity exercise.
It also delays the onset of neuromuscular fatigue meaning that you will be able to train harder and longer.
As pointed out, one of the main reasons why bodybuilders and athletes tend to use beta-alanine is due to the fact that it has been proven to help not only improve athletic performance, but it can also help improve muscular endurance as well.
Studies have revealed that beta-alanine can help improve muscular strength, due to the fact that it increases the amount of naturally occurring carnosine in your skeletal muscles.
When you exercise, beta-alanine functions as a buffer, shielding your muscles against fatigue and the effects of harmful by-products of exercise (lactic acid, and H+), which can cause painful muscle cramps and fatigue.
Contrasting other amino acids, however, beta-alanine does not play a direct role in protein synthesis, but, it still assists the muscles as it allows them to function more efficiently and for a longer time, before breaking down and getting fatigued.
Beta-Alanine Capsules
According to the Natural Medicines database, people buy beta-alanine capsules, powders, and tablets for the following reasons:
• Improve athletic performance, particularly in the 60-240 second range
• Increase exercise capability
• Build lean muscle mass
• Improve physical performance among elderly individuals
Usage of beta-alanine supplements has risen sharply in recent years and has continued to rise, even as human trials have shown that Beta-Alanine helps to improve performance on several levels, including improving muscular endurance, training volume, anaerobic running capacity, lean mass, reducing fat mass, and fatigue, even the VO2max.
Aside from its use for athletic performance enhancement, beta-alanine is believed to possess antioxidant, antiaging, and certain other health-boosting properties, even as human trials continue in its bid to discern all of its functions in the body.
Beta-Alanine Capsules and Powder
Beta-Alanine is available in both a bulk powder form or in capsules and tablets form. Buying beta-alanine capsules or powders is a matter of personal liking.
Capsules are easily transported, making it simple to have them on hand for scheduled supplementation, while powders provide more control over dosage amounts, and are generally cheaper.
Powders are also preferred by those who have difficulties swallowing pills or capsules.
Safety – Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine has been graded as possibly safe for short-term, oral usage, whereas, its long-term usage has not been studied. Reported safety data states that 6.4-gram doses of beta-alanine have been used in younger adults for 10 weeks with no side effects observed.
For adults who are over 54 years of age, 2.4-gram doses have been used safely for 3 months.
Not enough is known about beta-alanine effects to determine their safety for pregnant or nursing women and children, and as such, it is not recommended for this group of individuals.
Beta-Alanine Dosage Recommendations
Beta-alanine capsules have been used to increase muscular endurance and training capacity, and to ease fatigue. For adults wishing to improve exercise performance, incremental dosing schedules can be used.
In some studies on beta-alanine, 2 grams of beta-alanine powder were taken for the first two weeks, then 3 grams daily were taken for the next two weeks, then, 4 grams daily, were taken for the remainder of the 8-week supplementation cycles.
Also, doses up to 4.8 grams were taken daily for one month with positive effects in these areas.
CarnoSyn is a specific beta-alanine supplement that has been shown to delay the onset of neuromuscular fatigue in women cyclists.
Using incremental dosing for over 28 days also increased time to exhaustion.
Strength training athletes buy and use beta-alanine capsules and powders during periods of intense training, and the use of Beta-Alanine is recommended to be used for at least 2 weeks before expecting benefits.
Usage should be for 10 weeks before you steer off temporarily, as no human studies have explored the long-term effects of beta-alanine administration or usage.
Conclusion
Adding a beta-alanine supplement to your diet can help to elevate carnosine levels inside your muscle tissues.
This has been demonstrated to result in several improvements connected with physical performance.
It is recommended that you follow dosing instructions closely, as many users have been observed to begin at half the recommended dosage and then working up slowly to the full amount or dosage.
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