How much beta alanine should i take a day

This ability to double the intake of beta-alanine has allowed elite athletes to acquire higher muscle carnosine retention than was observed at the 3. This higher dose protocol was put to the test in the field to assess the impact on the performance of trained cyclists. Following a loading phase protocol, the cyclists took a daily average of 6.

At the end of 28 days, the supplemented group had a 9. It is important to note that beta-alanine is best taken daily regardless of training schedule. Because beta-alanine works by increasing muscle concentrations of carnosine , it does not need to be taken around a training session to produce results. News, videos, and Thorne stories delivered to your inbox each month. Most Recent Articles Videos Podcasts.

Roger Harris showed that chronic supplementation of 4 weeks with beta-alanine can increase muscle carnosine content Harris et al. We performed a meta-analysis of all the evidence on beta-alanine supplementation on exercise available up until and showed that, on average, beta-alanine does lead to moderate improvements in exercise capacity and performance Saunders et al.

However, a couple of factors may modify this response, the most important being the duration of the exercise you undertake. Our results suggest that high-intensity exercise lasting between 30 s and 10 min is the timeframe most likely to benefit from beta-alanine supplementation. This includes, but is not limited to, sports such as and m swimming, 4-km time-trial cycling, m rowing and m running.

Exercise less than 30 s is not of sufficient duration to be affected by muscle acidosis, while endurance exercise is also less likely to be affected due to its more aerobic nature.

That being said, it is possible that short periods of high-intensity activity performed throughout longer duration exercise may be improved with beta-alanine, such as a sprint finish at the end of a prolonged cycling race. Importantly, it must be noted that we showed the more trained the individual, the smaller the effect beta-alanine is likely to have.

This is possibly due to less room for improvement in already trained individuals. Nonetheless, it is worth considering that these gains are more valuable for athletes as it may translate into worthwhile improvements in competition. So, it can increase muscle carnosine and improve performance, but is it safe to use? The overwhelming evidence suggests it is, and a recent meta-analytic summary of the available data concluded that beta-alanine can safely be consumed by health individuals in doses of up to 6.

However, many users will know that there is a common side-effect which feels like an itchy or tingling sensation on the skin shortly after taking the supplement. This sensation, which is termed paraesthesia, is related to a rapid increase of beta-alanine in the blood which subsides within minutes and has no long-term health effects.

While some common beliefs are that these sensations mean the supplement is working, the only acute effect this might have is as a placebo. Advertiser Disclosure. Advertiser Disclosure : We strive to help you make confident fitness software decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. Our partners do not influence our content.

Our opinions are our own. We update our site regularly and all content is reviewed by credentialed fitness experts. Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that is found in the human body. Beta-alanine is beneficial for a number of things , although it is mostly touted for its help with increasing muscle mass and exercise performance. Although beta-alanine is made by the body, some people choose to supplement with it as well.

In these cases, the daily dosages vary from person to person. You should speak with your physician to see if beta-alanine is something you should consider supplementing your diet with.

Supplements aside, no healthy lifestyle is complete without a regular exercise routine. Go PRO today for access to certified personal trainers, workout plans, and more. Beta-alanine is known to help athletes and other active people. Bodybuilders and weightlifters like to supplement with it because it helps to increase their power output as well as increase the strength of their muscles.

Along with increasing muscle strength, beta-alanine also increases the size of the muscles. For sprinters and athletes who do short bursts of high-intensity activity, beta-alanine can help increase the anaerobic endurance of muscles. For long-distance runners, cyclists, and other endurance athletes, beta-alanine can help increase their aerobic endurance so they can go further and longer.

Many athletes take beta-alanine to help their muscles recover more quickly. It is known to help delay the fatigue that muscles get from training.