Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis
TL;DR: A preliminary quantitative review of the literature through a meta-analysis found that β-alanine supplementation improves the outcome of exercise measures to a greater extent than placebo, and exercise lasting 60–240 s was improved, in line with the purported mechanisms for an ergogenic effect.
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Abstract: Due to the well-defined role of β-alanine as a substrate of carnosine (a major contributor to H+ buffering during high-intensity exercise), β-alanine is fast becoming a popular ergogenic aid to sports performance. There have been several recent qualitative review articles published on the topic, and here we present a preliminary quantitative review of the literature through a meta-analysis. A comprehensive search of the literature was employed to identify all studies suitable for inclusion in the analysis; strict exclusion criteria were also applied. Fifteen published manuscripts were included in the analysis, which reported the results of 57 measures within 23 exercise tests, using 18 supplementation regimes and a total of 360 participants [174, β-alanine supplementation group (BA) and 186, placebo supplementation group (Pla)]. BA improved (P = 0.002) the outcome of exercise measures to a greater extent than Pla [median effect size (IQR): BA 0.374 (0.140–0.747), Pla 0.108 (−0.019 to 0.487)]. Some of that effect might be explained by the improvement (P = 0.013) in exercise capacity with BA compared to Pla; no improvement was seen for exercise performance (P = 0.204). In line with the purported mechanisms for an ergogenic effect of β-alanine supplementation, exercise lasting 60–240 s was improved (P = 0.001) in BA compared to Pla, as was exercise of >240 s (P = 0.046). In contrast, there was no benefit of β-alanine on exercise lasting <60 s (P = 0.312). The median effect of β-alanine supplementation is a 2.85% (−0.37 to 10.49%) improvement in the outcome of an exercise measure, when a median total of 179 g of β-alanine is supplemented.
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Citations
Nutritional Strategies to Modulate Intracellular and Extracellular Buffering Capacity During High-Intensity Exercise
Antonio Herbert Lancha Junior,Vitor de Salles Painelli,Bryan Saunders,Guilherme Giannini Artioli +3 more
TL;DR: The co-supplementation of beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate may result in additive ergogenic gains during high-intensity exercise, although studies are required to investigate this combination in a wide range of sports.
Carnosine: from exercise performance to health
Craig Sale,Guilherme Giannini Artioli,Bruno Gualano,Bryan Saunders,Ruth M. Hobson,Roger C. Harris +5 more
TL;DR: The current evidence base relating to the use of β-alanine as an ergogenic aid is reviewed, alongside the current thoughts on the potential mechanism(s) to support any effect, and the currently available evidence to support this potential therapeutic role is reviewed.
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Additive effects of beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate on upper-body intermittent performance.
Gabriel Cardial Tobias,Fabiana Braga Benatti,Vitor de Salles Painelli,Hamilton Roschel,Bruno Gualano,Craig Sale,Roger C. Harris,Antonio Herbert Lancha,Guilherme Gianinni Artioli +8 more
TL;DR: Chronic BA and SB supplementation alone equally enhanced high-intensity intermittent upper-body performance in well-trained athletes.
Muscle Energetics During Explosive Activities and Potential Effects of Nutrition and Training
TL;DR: It is clear that performance during HIE can be improved by interventions that increase the capacity of anaerobic ATP production, suggesting that energetic constraints set a limit for performance duringHIE.
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TL;DR: Concerns regarding use of legal PESs include high rates of product contamination, correlation with future use of anabolic androgenic steroids, and adverse effects on the focus and experience of youth sports participation.
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