You put in extra hours at the gym to meet your goals and you work hard to maintain a healthy diet. You did the research and handpicked what items to include in your workout stacks, but are you getting the most out of these supplements? When selecting what supplements to include as part of your regimen, you need to consider your goals, your approach, and your body’s needs. If you do the work, you expect to see and feel the results. With the right choice of supplement, you can set yourself up for success when considering improvements in muscle function, size, and retention. Including Beta-Alanine in your supplement regimen can help you reach your goals faster and in a more efficient way.
What is Beta-Alanine Supplement?
Beta-Alanine [1, 4] is an amino acid that is derived from the parent amino acid Alanine. Beta-Alanine is a precursor to a number of compounds that are used within the body. Vitamin B5, also known as Pantothenic Acid, Anserine, and Carnosine are three of the main compounds that are synthesized from beta-Alanine. Carnosine is naturally found in high concentrations in both healthy muscles and brain tissue.
What are Beta-Alanine’s Benefits?
Choosing to supplement with beta-Alanine has been shown [2] to increase the amount of Carnosine present in different muscle groups throughout the human body. The increase of this vital buffer compound helps to increase the elasticity, function, and performance of muscles during aerobic and anaerobic exercise routines. When the level of natural Carnosine falls, the body has an increased chance of improper muscle function and possible muscle gain losses. During intense workout sessions [3], the number one cause of muscle fatigue is an imbalance in the pH levels called intramuscular acidosis. Beta-Alanine acts as a strong acid buffer to help protect against fatigue which subsequently increases both total workout time and overall effectiveness of the workout. Additionally, Beta-Alanine supplement [1] has been reported to protect against stress and exercise induced lactic acid, another form of acidosis in the muscle groups.
Besides acting to increase and prolong muscle functions, Beta-Alanine supplement also provides other benefits to the body during exercise. Possessing strong antioxidant properties [5], Beta-Alanine works to fight free radicals caused by oxidative stress, such as intensive exercise regimens. This action enables muscles to recover faster and more efficiently, to improve pH levels for optimum muscle performance, and to ultimately increase time spent in the gym working towards your fitness goals. Added benefits of its antioxidant action include the protection of healthy and properly functioning cells directly linked to various muscle groups, our central nervous system, and many major organs such as the heart and stomach.