Beta Alanine – Effects, Side Effects & Proper Consumption
Beta-alanine is one of the most common nutritional supplements for strength athletes. Almost every athlete has experienced this before. Unsurprisingly, it is, after all, well-researched and one of the few harmless supplements with proven, immediate potency-enhancing effects.
You may know beta-alanine as a component of many workout boosters. It is very common there and is responsible, among other things, for the occasional tingling sensation. Isolated consumption is less common. However, some athletes also use beta-alanine on purpose.
In this article, I would like to explain the consequences and possible side effects of taking beta-alanine. You should also learn how you should take it in order to achieve the best results. For this I have divided the article into sections where you can find out
- What effects can you expect from beta-alanine
- Possible side effects of beta-alanine supplementation
- How to properly consume beta-alanine
- Which beta-alanine is right for you
If you have read this article, you must know everything in order to be able to decide for yourself whether it makes sense to you. Then you know everything it takes to use beta-alanine effectively to support your learning or to be able to consciously decide against it.
About the effects of beta-alanine
Beta-alanine is a beta-amino acid and a so-called biogenic amine (biogenic amine on Wikipedia). In recent years, it has been increasingly studied for its effects on athletic performance and muscle building.
A key, well-known effect of long-term beta-alanine supplementation is that it increases muscle carnosine levels. This results in a delay in the change in the ph value in the muscle. Consequently, it takes more time to acidify the muscles. This results in increased muscle endurance in the mid-range performance range. In this area, you can do more reps with the same weight with extended use of beta-alanine. This way, you can use the increased training volume to create more growth stimulus and build muscle faster.
The area of strength endurance has the greatest impact. So you can, for example, since runners expect a marked increase in mid-distance mileage due to increased carnosine levels. The effect of classic hypertrophy training is less, but also present.
By the way, it can be assumed that beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate in combination have an even greater effect on muscle function than individually. This is probably (primarily) because the two substances begin at different points in the process of supplying energy to the muscles. Combined, this strengthens the entire chain. However, I only found one meaningful study for this.
Do not underestimate the psychological effect of taking it before training. The tingling sensation that many people experience (more on this in the side effects section) has a positive effect on training motivation for some participants.
There are also signs that regular consumption may help reduce muscle mass in old age. Regular strength training and a high protein diet (avoid protein deficiency!) Play a significant role here.
Possible side effects of beta-alanine supplementation
There isn’t really much to say about the side effects of beta-alanine. Ultimately, it is an amino acid, and there is no known reason to consider it safe. Of course, the dose does poison here as well, and I advise you to stick to the following recommendation for taking it.
The only known side effect of beta-alanine is a tingling sensation that can be caused under the skin. This tingling sensation is completely harmless. It is caused by the reaction of nerve endings to an unusually high concentration of the amino acid in the blood and disappears after about 30 minutes.
If you experience tingling discomfort, you can avoid it by consuming smaller doses
However, there are people who cannot tolerate large amounts of beta-alanine. If you get a very itchy rash after taking it, I would suggest not taking it again.
Proper intake of beta-alanine
Based on current research, a daily dosage of two to five grams results in optimal, performance-enhancing results. Time doesn’t matter. I personally take two grams immediately upon awakening, along with five daily five grams of creatine and my omega-3 fish oil capsules.
On workout days, I skip beta-alanine in the morning when I see myself taking a pre-workout booster with beta-alanine. I personally like the tingling sensation. I think it sounds a bit like the proverbial bumblebee in the ass.
If you want to take this amount (two grams) of beta-alanine into your daily diet, you need to eat just over a kilogram of beef or pork. Vegetarians and vegans do not consume beta-alanine in their diets.
Which beta-alanine is right for you?
I don’t have a preferred manufacturer of beta-alanine. Ultimately, the same quality criteria apply here as for the selection of other dietary supplements:
- Raw materials as much as possible (without unnecessary additives such as silicon dioxide)
- A manufacturer with a good reputation for high quality products
- Ideally, raw materials and products of European origin are better than German ones
Unless it says “Made in Germany”, the raw materials are usually sourced from China. Even though the quality of Chinese food is sometimes very good these days, I prefer to use German-made food for my supplements.
Also, I would always use the beta-alanine powder form. Capsules are significantly more expensive, and the powder is more or less tasteless and can be easily mixed anywhere.
Your conclusion on the consumption and effects of beta-alanine
If you regularly do strength training or run medium distances, you may find it beneficial to take 2-5 grams of beta-alanine per day. Consumption is completely harmless and if tingling bothers you, you can divide it into several small portions.
Combination with creatine monohydrate is likely to be particularly beneficial synergistically. Since both make sense on their own, you can’t argue against that.
If you’re using a beta-alanine workout booster, simply subtract your daily dose.
Regards
And don’t forget: your health is your health.
