BETA-ALANINE IS A NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID. UNLIKE MOST AMINO ACIDS, IT IS NOT USED BY YOUR BODY TO SYNTHESIZE PROTEINS. INSTEAD, TOGETHER WITH HISTIDINE, IT PRODUCES AN INGREDIENT CALLED CARNOSINE. CARNOSINE IS THEN STORED IN YOUR SKELETAL MUSCLE, WHICH REDUCES LACTIC ACID ACCUMULATION IN YOUR MUSCLES DURING EXERCISE THIS THEN LEADS TO IMPROVED ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE.
IN YOUR MUSCLES’ HISTIDINE LEVELS ARE NORMALLY HIGH AND BETA-ALANINE LEVELS ARE LOW WHICH LIMITS THE PRODUCTION OF CARNOSINE. SO HOW DOES CARNOSINE ACT WHILE YOU EXERCISE? FIRST GLUCOSE IS BROKEN DOWN IN YOUR BODY WHICH IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF FUEL DURING TRAINING. WHILE EXERCISING, YOUR MUSCLES BREAK DOWN THE GLUCOSE INTO LACTIC ACID THAT IS THEN CONVERTED TO LACTATE WHICH PRODUCES HYDROGEN. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, YOUR MUSCLE BECOMES MORE ACIDIC BECAUSE THE HYDROGEN IONS REDUCE YOUR BODY’S PH LEVELS. ONCE ACIDITY SETS INTO YOUR MUSCLE BELLYIT BLOCKS THE GLUCOSE BREAKDOWN AND THE MUSCLE BEGINS TO FATIGUE. SINCE BETA-ALANINE INCREASES CARNOSINE LEVELS, IT WILL HELP YOUR MUSCLES REDUCE THEIR ACID LEVELS LESSENING OVERALL FATIGUE.
QUICK HIT NOTES:
- BETA-ALANINE ENHANCES PERFORMANCE BY INCREASING EXERCISE CAPACITY AND DECREASING MUSCLE FATIGUE.
- BETA-ALANINE ALSO HAS ANTIOXIDANT, IMMUNE-ENHANCING, AND ANTI-AGING PROPERTIES.
- THE RECOMMENDED DOSE FOR THIS NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID IS TWO TO FIVE GRAMS DAILY.
- BETA-ALANINE MAY CAUSE TINGLING IN THE SKIN. THIS IS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE SUPPLEMENT TO ENHANCE EXERCISE PERFORMANCE.