Beta Alanine Bodybuilding Benefits
Beta Alanine is a highly rated bodybuilding pre-workout supplement that benefits bodybuilding by reducing muscular fatigue which allows the muscle to do more work, (perform more reps) which stimulates increased muscular growth.
The bodybuilding benefits of Beta Alanine are so well know that you will find this ingredient in almost every pre-workout supplement on the market!
Simply put, using a pre-workout supplement containing a bodybuilding dosage of Beta Alanine will allow you to perform more reps before muscle fatigue sets in. You will benefit because these extra reps will promote more muscle growth and strength.
Indeed, the most popular Pre workout supplement (and the one I use exclusively for over 15 years) Cellucor C4 uses Beta alanine as one of its main ingredients.
Beta Alanine Bodybuilding Dosage*
The recommended bodybuilding dosage of Beta Alanine is 1.5-3 mg before and after each workout.
It can be combined with pre and post workout protein and creatine shakes, for a total of 3-6 grams each day.
Take 3-6 grams with breakfast on non-workout days.
I personally take a dose of Cellucor C4 before each workout. This product contains an effective dose of Beta Alanine, and I consider this a critical supplement for effective workouts.
Taken as a Pre-workout, Beta Alanine also benefits strength and musclular endurance. This stuff works! You can actually feel it working as one of the Beta alanine side effects is tingling skin.
Beta Alanine is especially effective when stacked with creatine. Studies have shown that weight trainers who supplement with Beta Alanine and creatine experienced significantly more muscle growth and strength gains than those who only took creatine.
Beta alanine supplements have made almost as big an impact on the sports and bodybuilding supplement world as creatine! Moving up the list with protein and creatine as one of the most recommended muscle building supplements on the market.
Look at the label of the best pre-workout supplements on the market today and you will most likely see Beta-Alanine. This is a powerful advantage to muscle building.
Side Effects of Beta Alanine (tingling)
Beta-alanine has been known to cause some of the following side effects: tingling sensation of the skin, flushing of the ears, scalp, forehead, arms, chest and buttocks approximately 20 minutes after taking. Taking low dosages in the beginning and slowly working your way up will keep these side effects barely noticeable. Not everyone will experience these side effects.
Studies have shown that continual use of Beta alanine for 4 weeks causes no toxicity and blood tests were found to be normal. Beta Alanine is considered to be safe and non-toxic at the manufacturers recommended dosages.
Bodybuilding Rating:****
Beta alanine is highly rated as a bodybuilding supplement. Explanation: Beta Alanine (also known as L-alanine) is a non-essential amino acid that combines with the amino acid Histidine (many of the products featured on this page also contain Histidine) in the muscle to form a dipeptide known as carnosine.
When a high concentration of carnosine is present in the muscle, research has confirmed that it increases power and strength. Carnosine also reduces muscle fatigue.
What is Beta- Alanine?
It is considered an organic amino acid because there is a carbon atom in its molecular structure. Alanine can be found in fish, poultry, pork and beef. Most animal based protein foods contain large amounts of Beta-alanine.
See Wikipedia article on Beta Alanine.
How does Beta Alanine work within the body?
Beta alanine is an amino acid that binds with Histidine (another amino acid) to form Carnosine. Carnosine is a dipeptide that delays muscle fatigue, thus allowing you to do another rep or two, which then stimulates greater muscle growth!
Does it make sense to supplement with carnosine instead of beta-alanine?
It sounds like it would be the way to go, but carnosine is broken down in the intestines into the amino acids, beta-alanine and histidine. Then these amino acids are transported into the muscle tissue where they bind together to form….you guessed it, Carnosine! The problem is that most of the carnosine you started with is destroyed by this process, so you end up with a lot less carnosine in the muscle. You would have to take very large doses of carnosine to do any good. Beta alanine is already broken down, so it goes directly to the muscle to start forming carnosine. Clearly, supplementing with beta-alanine is a more efficient way to increase carnosine levels.
Clearly, supplementing with beta-alanine is a more efficient way to increase carnosine levels.
Beta Alanine can be a powerful supplement to benefit your bodybuilding efforts for increased muscle growth when proper dosage is used.
*Dosages are only general recommendations. Always check with your Physician and product label before taking any supplement or medication.