Beta Alanine

Beta-alanine is technically a non-essential beta-amino acid, but it has quickly become anything but non-essential in the worlds of performance nutrition and bodybuilding. ... Beta-alanine claims to raise muscle carnosine levels and increase the amount of work you can perform at high intensities.

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that is produced naturally in the body. Beta-alanine is a nonproteinogenic amino acid (i.e., it is not incorporated into proteins during translation). It is synthesized in the liver and can be ingested in the diet through animal-based foods like beef and chicken. Once ingested, beta-alanine combines with histidine within skeletal muscle and other organs to form carnosine. Beta-alanine is the limiting factor in muscle carnosine synthesis.

Beta-alanine aids in the production of carnosine. That's a compound that plays a role in muscle endurance in high-intensity exercise.

Here's how it's said to work. Muscles contain carnosine. Higher levels of carnosine may allow the muscles to perform for longer periods before they become fatigued. Carnosine does this by helping to regulate acid buildup in the muscles, a primary cause of muscle fatigue.

Beta-alanine supplements are thought to boost the production of carnosine and, in turn, boost sports performance.

This does not necessarily mean that athletes will see better results. In one study, sprinters who took beta-alanine did not improve their times in a 400-meter race.

Beta-alanine has been shown to enhance muscular endurance during high-intensity exercise lasting 1–10 minutes.[1] Examples of exercise that may be enhanced by beta-alanine supplementation include 400–1500 meter running and 100–400-meter swimming.

Carnosine also appears to exert antiaging effects, mainly by suppressing errors in protein metabolism, as the accumulation of altered proteins is strongly associated with the aging process. These antiaging effects may derive from its role as an antioxidant, a chelator of toxic metal ions, and an antiglycation agent.