Beta-alanine like creatine is a bit more complex when it comes to the specific dosing protocol, duration, and when to take it for optimal performance. As one of the most well-researched and proven sports nutrition ergogenic aids, beta-alanine has been shown to drastically improve your cardiorespiratory performance and heighten your lactic acid threshold. We’re going to discuss the details surrounding the best dosing protocol for beta-alanine and when you should be taking it to improve your performance.

What Is Beta-Alanine 

Beta-alanine is a non-essential beta amino acid. Beta-alanine combines with the amino acid l-histidine, creating a di-peptide called carnosine, which acts as a lactic acid buffer, resulting in delayed muscle fatigue, loss of power, and increased time to failure. Studies have shown that elevated muscle carnosine levels can fuel endurance, build more muscle strength, and enhance athletic performance.

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What Does Beta-Alanine Do

Training requires energy, and the main energy source when you work out is glucose.The by-product of glucose metabolism is the production of lactic acid elicited by increased muscle acidity. More lactic acid build-up will eventually cause muscle fatigue and a loss of muscle power. Beta-alanine is a lactic acid buffer which creates the di-peptide carnosine. More carnosine content has been proven to reduce muscle acidity and delay muscle fatigue increasing your workout volume, by allowing you more time to exhaustion.

Numerous studies have shown that supplementing with CarnoSyn Beta-Alanine improves muscle carnosine concentrations to help delay muscle fatigue and counteract the build-up of lactic acid.

A study published in the Journal of Medical & Science In Sports & Exercise found that after 24 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation in cyclists muscle carnosine content and high-intensity cycling capacity significantly increased at every time-interval [R, R].

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When Is The Best Time To Take Beta-Alanine

To derive the most optimal performance benefits, you need to know when to take your beta-alanine. Studies show that the most optimal dose is between 3.2-6.4g of beta-alanine anytime during the day consistently for at least 28 days. An easy way to remember that is the 90/28 rule, meaning you need at least 90g of beta-alanine for 28 days to produce the most effective result. Beta-alanine produces an acute stimulating response, often recognized as a tingling or itchy sensation known as paresthesia.

The direct mechanism or etiology of why beta-alanine creates paresthesia remains somewhat unclear. Researchers believe that beta-alanine activates sensory neurons that terminate in the skin, leading to topical tingling and itchiness [R].

Therefore, supplementing beta-alanine pre workout will be the most convenient and effective. However, the performance benefits are based upon increasing muscle carnosine concentration over time. Thus, the time of day you supplement with beta-alanine isn’t nearly as important as consistently consuming a clinical dose of 3.2-6.4g per day. By taking a larger dose each day, you will achieve a larger cumulative dose over time, resulting in heightened muscle carnosine concentration.

When To Take Beta-Alanine: Takeaway

The performance benefits from supplementing beta-alanine are based upon raising muscle carnosine concentrations over time. Therefore, when you take beta-alanine isn't nearly as important, as consistently consuming beta-alanine each day, to produce a larger total dose over time. More beta-alanine over time will result in heightened muscle carnosine concentration, producing better athletic performance.

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