Saddo's Supplement Dictionary;

**Dave1066** · 12-06-2012 05:57 PM

Beta-Alanine

Definition and Science

Beta-Alanine is a non-essential amino acid and is the only naturally occurring beta-amino acid. Not to be confused with regular alanine, beta- alanine is classified as a non-proteinogenic amino acid, as it is not believed to be used in the building of proteins.

The greatest natural dietary sources of beta-alanine are believed to be obtained through ingesting the beta-alanine containing dipeptides: carnosine, anserine and balenine, rather than directly ingesting beta-alanine. These dipeptides are found in protein rich foods such as chicken, beef, pork and fish. It is predominantly through ingesting the dipeptide carnosine that we ingest most of our beta-alanine, as the two other dipeptides are not found nearly as plentiful in our typical coniferous diet. However, obtaining beta-alanine through these dipeptides is not the only way, as our bodies can synthesize it in the liver from the catabolism of pyrimidine nucleotides which are broken down into uracil and thymine and then metabolized into beta-alanine and B-aminoisobutyrate. Of course, it can also be ingested through direct supplementation which is the focus of this article.

Typically, studies have used supplementing strategies of multiple doses of 400 mg or 800 mg, administered at regular intervals for up to eight hours, over periods ranging from 4 to 10 weeks.
After a 10-week supplementing strategy, the reported increase in intramuscular carnosine content was an average of 80.1% (range 18 to 205%).
A study conducted at Adams State College, Alamosa, Colorado, compared the effects of β-alanine to a placebo group in two sports: wrestling and American football. The subjects taking β-alanine achieved more desirable results on all tests compared to placebo. The wrestlers, both placebo and supplement lost weight; however, the supplement group increased lean mass by 1.1 lb., while the placebo group lost lean mass (-0.98 lb). Both American football groups gained weight; however, the supplement group gained an average 2.1 lb lean mass compared to 1.1 lb for placebo.

Benefits of taking Beta Alanine

Increase Muscular Strength & Power Output.
Increases Muscle Mass
Increase Anaerobic Endurance
Increases Aerobic Endurance
Delay Muscular Fatigue- Train Harder & Longer

Side effects

Skin that feels itchy/ tingles.
Some people have reported heart palpitations

Personal Thoughts

In the past whilst training, i have taken AST Sports Science Beta X. Which is Beta Alanine. I had been training for along time. I was already taking AST Sports Science VP2 Whey isolate protein. Which had given me gains. I got to a point where i had plateaued. So i started taking Beta X and the Whey protein together. The Beta X did give me quick lean muscle gains. Within two weeks. However i did get the dreaded tingles. I bared the tingles for aslong as i could. Then i stopped taking Beta X.

So this supplement works and works well. It's well recieved in the sporting world backed up by independent sciencetific research.

Its upto you to try it and see if you get the gains and to see if you get any side effects or not. I know i will be trying it again.