Study supports beta-alanine supplementation for less fatigue

The results of a new four-week, randomized placebo-controlled study indicated that six grams per day of beta-alanine increased the carnosine content of muscles, and that this was related to reduce fatigue in both men and women.

On the other hand, supplementation did not reduce muscle L-histidine content in either men or women, report scientists from the University of Central Florida in Nutrition Research​​.​

Study details​

The study, which used the branded Carnosyn ingredient from California-based Natural Alternatives International (NAI), included 26 men and women and randomly assigned them to receive either 6 grams per day of beta-alanine or placebo for four weeks. All the participants performed intensive exercise at the very start and end of the study period.

Results showed that beta-alanine was associated with increases in muscle carnosine levels, compared to placebo, with no differences between men and women. In addition, beta-alanine attenuated exercise fatigue, compared to placebo.

“Results of this investigation provides some degree of evidence that carnosine content is related to decreases in fatigue, especially in individuals with low initial muscle carnosine content. It appears that as muscle carnosine levels elevate past a certain threshold, performance improvements may not respond in a linear manner,”​ wrote the researchers.

Source: Nutrition Research​​
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2017.10.002
“β-Alanine Supplementation Elevates Intramuscular Carnosine Content and Attenuates Fatigue in Men and Women Similarly, but does not Change Muscle L-Histidine Content”​
Authors: A.N.Varanoske, et al.