4 PROVEN BENEFITS OF BETA-ALANINE
Beta-alanine is one of the common supplements within the fitness industry. Its popularity has increased in recent years as people recognize the impact of beta-alanine on performance and muscle endurance. Beta-alanine is one of the ingredients of carnosine, and higher levels of carnosine in the body enable the muscles to perform for longer before getting fatigued. It achieves that by regulating acid build-up in the muscles, which is the primary cause of fatigue.That said, here are the proven benefits of beta-alanine.
Enhances athletic performance
Beta-alanine is scientifically proven to improve performance during high-intensity training and short-duration exercises. Beta-alanine, both in its natural form in the body and supplement form, increases the carnosine in the muscles, which helps reduce their acid levels during training. That, in turn, reduces your overall fatigue when working out.
When beta-alanine increases your body’s resistance to muscle fatigue, that increases your time to exhaustion leading to improved athletic performance. For instance, a study where 18rowers were given beta-alanine supplements for 7weeks found that they were 4.3times faster than a placebo.
It reduces muscle fatigue.
Like the benefit mentioned above, beta-alanine supplements have also been hyped for their ability to reduce the accumulation of hydrogen ions, resulting in reduced muscle fatigue and more exercise capacity. That means athletes supplemented with beta-alanine participating in high interval training sports can work out for more extended periods with more explosive bouts of energy.
Apart from reducing the lactic acid build-up during aerobic exercises, which slows down fatigue, beta-alanine also improves the recovery times. This hypothesis narrows down to one explanation: accumulation of lactic acid limits the duration of the high-intensity exercises an athlete can perform. Taking beta-alanine supplements makes the muscles more resistant to the acid build-up for longer, reducing muscle fatigue and shortening recovery times.
It boosts anaerobic performance capacity and power.
One thing with anaerobic performances is that they require short bursts of energy at maximum effort, for instance, sprinting. When you are working out in an anaerobic state, your body needs more oxygen than the lungs can give, an effect that activates the production of lactic acid, which beta-alanine helps reduce. The higher the workout intensity, the more lactic acid is produced, and the faster the muscles get fatigued.
When you supplement with beta-alanine, the amino acid works to produce carnosine which delays muscle fatigue allowing you to perform with longer endurance at high intensity. That is why sprint performers are said to have higher carnosine levels in their bodies, allowing them to perform better at stronger capacities.
It improves muscle endurance.
According to research, beta-alanine can boost reps and sets during resistance training due to more concentrations of carnosine in the muscles. Beta-alanine supplements can also alleviate the effects of acidosis, allowing you to improve from training faster and get back to your performance. Changes in lean body mass and decreased body fat are more significant when you stack beta-alanine and creatine.
The punchline
Beta-alanine improves performance during high-intensity training and short-duration exercises by increasing carnosine levels in your muscles.