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In today’s day and age, everyone is about getting more bang for their buck when it comes to sports and athletic performance. Most serious athletes are all looking for ways to get an edge and one way to do that is by taking certain sports and performance-enhancing supplements such as beta alanine.
Taking supplements can boost your progress and make it easier for you to build lean muscles.
In addition to this, some supplements will give you more energy and concentration. This makes it easier to excel in the gym.
Beta-Alanine has been known to be one of the best supplements to take before exercising.
However, this non-essential amino acid is not easy to consume through foods which is why you hear of it being added into pre-workouts rather than finding foods rich in beta-alanine content.
With that being said, in order to get an amount worth making a difference you’ll likely need to take supplements to boost your daily intake.
Within this guide, you’ll learn more about Beta-Alanine and the benefits it offers.
What Is Beta-Alanine?
First and foremost, you should learn a little more about Beta-Alanine. Before consuming this supplement, you should know what it is.
As mentioned above, Beta Alanine is a non-essential amino acid. It cannot be found in a lot of foods such as beef, fish, or chicken.
This amino acid is created naturally in the body and can be found in your muscles and brain.
Beta-Alanine is vital because it is crucial for building carnosine. In addition to this, Beta-Alanine helps reduce acid formation when you work out.
By using this supplement, you can likely work out longer and recover shorter. You’ll be able to hit the weights or treadmill harder and achieve more.
This supplement can enhance your performance and it is safe.
Benefits Of Beta-Alanine
Athletes need to go above and beyond to gain an advantage over their competition. If you don’t, you’re going to get outmatched.
Whether you’re a runner, boxer, or martial artist, you’ll need to excel in the gym so you can win in the ring or on the field.
Beta-Alanine can help boost your performance in the gym. It offers numerous benefits including the following.
- Improve Exercise Capacity – By taking this supplement, you’ll be able to reduce acid formation in your muscles. This guarantees that you’ll be able to work out harder for longer.
- Antioxidant Properties – Beta-alanine has antioxidant properties so it can boost your immunity. Using this supplement means you’ll be less likely to get sick.
- Anti-Aging – It is also said that this supplement can help you from aging. You’ll stay youthful longer when using Beta-Alanine.
- Reducing Muscle Fatigue – Taking Beta Alanine is one of the best ways to decrease muscle fatigue. Preventing acid formation allows you to use your muscles more efficiently during long workouts.
Side Effects Of Beta-Alanine
Consumers need to be very cautious when choosing supplements. Some can lead to dangerous short and long-term side effects.
With that being said, you should identify the property side effects so you can make sure that the supplement is right for you.
So, what can you expect when taking Beta Alanine? As mentioned above, beta-alanine is created naturally in the body so it is safe.
Furthermore, beta-alanine features a built-in dosing regulator. You shouldn’t have to worry about experiencing problems when taking too much.
You’ve likely taken pre-workout supplements that make your body tingle. Well, you should understand that the tingling sensation is caused by beta-alanine.
This tingling sensation is called paresthesia. It can also lead to a burning and itching feeling. When you take large doses of Beta-Alanine, you may feel flushed around your ears or on your scalp.
Most pre-workout supplements contain large doses of Beta Alanine. If you consume just 800 mg of this supplement, there is a good chance that you’re going to experience paresthesia.
In fact, the effects could be mild to severe and they may last up to 90 minutes.
Research studies have shown that consuming 3 grams of Beta Alanine at once can lead to significant paresthesia symptoms.
You can rest assured knowing that these symptoms will disappear with time. Nevertheless, it might be concerning to some.
If you fit into this category, you should limit your intake of beta alanine. It is a good idea to keep the dosage below 800 or 1,200 mg. This can be taken every 3 to 4 hours for four weeks.
This will give you the benefits while minimizing the tingling sensation.
Furthermore, you should make sure that you take this supplement on a full stomach. Taking it on an empty stomach means that blood concentrations will increase quicker.
However, you’ll be more likely to experience paresthesia.
Why Most Pre-Workouts Contain Beta-Alanine
Have you ever looked at the label on the back of your pre-workout supplement?
You should. Check the ingredients carefully and you’ll likely see Beta Alanine on the list.
This ingredient is very important because as we mentioned above it can offer a range of benefits that can help fuel your workout.
And although there are several pre-workouts that are beta alanine free, you’ll come to find that most of them contain large amounts of beta alanine. This is because sports and nutrition companies know that not only does this ingredient contain performance-enhancing benefits but the placebo effect is also a big plus.
This ingredient will help raise the carnosine concentrations in your muscles. This equates to more muscle growth.
Also, a lot of people want to know that their pre-workout supplement is working. When they feel the tingling sensation, they know they’re getting results.
This is why manufacturers rely on Beta Alanine. The tingling sensation lets you know that the supplement is working.
Beta Alanine is effective, safe, and noticeable.
Beta Alanine is a great addition because it’ll make any pre-workout supplement more effective.
Should You Take Beta Alanine Pre or Workout?
If you’re going to be working out and exercising, you should take advantage of Beta Alanine. While you could take this supplement after exercise, it is best to do so before you begin working out.
Beta Alanine will get your body ready for an intense workout. It will give you more energy and extend the capacity of your muscles.
With that being said, it will boost your performance in the gym.
It is best to take Beta Alanine 30 to 45 minutes before you begin exercising. This ensures that the supplement will have time to enter your system and begin working.
The effects will typically stick around for an hour or two.
After that, your workout should be finished.
This supplement primarily offers pre-workout benefits so it is best to take it before your next workout.
Is Beta Alanine Good For Building Muscle Or Muscle Recovery?
As an amino acid, Beta-alanine has been shown to form the dipeptide molecule “carnosine” when binding with another amino acid known as “L-histidine.” This all takes place within the muscle cells.
As the carnosine levels increase, muscle function gradually increases by decreasing muscle acidity. However, this is only possible with high-intensity workouts.
With the help of Beta alanine supplementation, athletes can fight muscle fatigue during high-intensity workouts. Muscle fatigue is the result of the accumulation of specific metabolites in the muscle cells.
When this happens, the carnosine acts as a hydrogen ion buffer, slowing the onset of fatigue, and preventing hydrogen ion accumulation in the muscle cells.
Even though Beta alanine supplementation has not been shown to improve aerobic power, it is believed to improve the anaerobic threshold.
When Beta alanine supplementation is combined with a high-intensity workout, lasting between one to four minutes, it can boost performance.
It is also possible to enhance performance when beta-alanine supplementation is combined with several rounds of high-intensity workouts with periodic rest periods.
More studies are needed to determine the impact of beta alanine on muscle recovery. Until we have evidence in-hand, it is not safe to say either way.
Beta Alanine Dosage Recommendations – Taking It Safely
Beta Alanine is safe and effective. However, you may not like the tingling sensation.
If this is the case, you’ll want to avoid taking too much. So, how much Beta Alanine should you take to avoid potential problems?
It is a good idea to take this supplement in divided doses several times a day. This will ensure that your body has enough to keep your muscles filled.
It is a good idea to experiment with this supplement. You can try taking it on an empty or full stomach.
By doing so, you’ll be able to find out which one you prefer.
It is generally best to take this supplement before workouts but you can take it any time of the day.
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