The Comprehensive Impact of Beta-Alanine on Sports Performance and Muscle Dynamics

The Comprehensive Impact of Beta-Alanine on Sports Performance and Muscle Dynamics

Date

2-13-2024

Faculty Mentor

Majid Koozehchian, Kinesiology

Submission Type

Conference Proceeding

Location

8:45-8:55am | Houston Cole Library, 11th Floor

Description

NOTE: Video of this presentation is not available.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) has extensively reviewed the effects of beta-alanine supplementation, emphasizing its potential to enhance exercise performance and muscle physiology. Beta-alanine, primarily known for increasing muscular carnosine levels, acts as an intracellular pH buffer, effectively combating muscle acidity during high-intensity activities. This buffering capacity is critical in maintaining muscle performance and endurance, especially under strenuous exercise conditions.

The ISSN outlines that a daily intake of 4-6 grams of beta-alanine can significantly elevate muscular carnosine concentration—up to 64% after four weeks and up to 80% after ten weeks. This substantial increase is pivotal in enhancing muscle performance and endurance by mitigating fatigue and facilitating muscle recovery post-training. Despite variations in baseline carnosine concentrations influenced by gender, activity level, genetics, and diet, beta-alanine supplementation consistently yields positive outcomes across different demographic profiles.

Beta-alanine’s function extends beyond pH buffering. It is an antioxidant, reducing oxidative stress and aiding muscle repair, which is particularly beneficial during high-intensity workouts or sports training. This property enhances training quality and performance by increasing muscle repair rates, thus shortening the recovery period between training sessions.

However, the research presents a nuanced picture regarding strength outcomes. While short-term studies indicate improvements in training volume and a decrease in fatigue, longer-term investigations (8-10 weeks) reveal varied effects on body composition and overall strength. This suggests that while beta-alanine positively influences training volume and fatigue resistance, its impact on long-term strength development and body composition is less clear-cut and warrants further investigation.

Beta-alanine's efficacy is most pronounced in high-intensity activities lasting up to 25 minutes. The impact of beta-alanine supplementation beyond this duration remains less defined, attributed to complex physiological interactions that are not yet fully understood. This has prompted ISSN to recommend potentially combining beta-alanine with other supplements to enhance its effects. Popular combinations include ergogenic acids like sodium, creatine, and other pre-workout supplements, which have shown synergistic effects in specific performance contexts, such as sprinting and rowing time trials. Nonetheless, the results vary, with some studies indicating significant improvements while others show negligible impact.

In conclusion, beta-alanine emerges as a promising supplement in sports nutrition, offering significant benefits in increasing muscular carnosine concentration, acting as a pH buffer, and potentially enhancing exercise performance and recovery. Despite mixed findings in long-term strength outcomes and its limited impact on activities exceeding 25 minutes, the short-term benefits and the potential for synergistic effects with other supplements position beta-alanine as a valuable component in the dietary regimen of athletes aiming to optimize their physical performance. Further research is anticipated to unravel more about beta-alanine's multifaceted role in sports nutrition and its optimal application in different exercise regimes.

Keywords

student research, kinesiology

Rights

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Disciplines

Kinesiotherapy

The Comprehensive Impact of Beta-Alanine on Sports Performance and Muscle Dynamics

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