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Beta-Alanine looks like the most exciting new supplement for hard training bodybuilders and althletes since the introduction of creatine monohydrate.
What is Beta-Alanine?
Beta-Alanine is a non-essential amino acid. It is the only naturally occurring beta-amino acid and unlike regular alanine, beta-alanine is believed to be a non-proteinogenic (not used in the building of proteins) amino acid. Protein rich foods such as chicken, beef, pork and fish provide a natural dietary source of beta-alanine primarily through a carnosine dipeptide. Beta-alanine can also be synthesized in the liver.
What are the Benefits of Beta-alanine?
Scientific studies found evidence that Beta-alanine can:
- Increase muscular strength & power output.
- Increase muscle mass
- Increase anaerobic endurance
- Increase aerobic endurance
- Delay muscular fatigue so you can train harder & longer
During high intensity exercise, our bodies accumulate a large amounts of hydrogen ions (H+), causing the pH in our muscles to drop. Our muscles become more acidic and this process is occuring whether you feel a burn or not. The drop in pH in compromises the ability to contract forcibly and maintain a high level of performance when training with high intensity. Beta-alanine supplementation appears to slow the drop in intra-muscular pH although not directly. The primary benefits from Beta-alanine supplementation come through its ability to boost the synthesis of carnosine and intra-muscular carnosine levels.
Carnosine is a di-peptide that occurs in both type 1 and type 2 muscle fibres, but in much higher concentrations in type 2 fibres. Type 2 fibres are primarily used in high intensity strength workouts and are the most responsive to muscular growth.
Intracellular carnosine can impact performance in a number of ways. As an intracellular buffer, carnosine helps stabilize muscular pH by removing hydrogen ions (H+) that are released at an accelerated rate during exercise. Unfortunately, supplementing with oral carnosine does not increase intracellular carnosine levels significantly.
Most of carnosine is broken down in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract into beta-alanine and histidine. A small amount of carnosine may reach the blood stream where it is broken down into beta-alanine and histidine by the enzyme carnosinase. These two amino acids may then be absorbed by muscle cells and converted back into carnosine.
Research has shown that supplementation with beta-alanine for just 4 weeks can increase intracellular carnosine concentration by 42-65%. For supplementation to 10-12 weeks, carnosine concentrations can increased by a massive 80%. This enormous increase in the muscles buffering capacity is then reflected in strength, lean body mass, power and muscular endurance gains when supplementing with oral beta-alanine.
MyoPure™ Beta-Alanine meets the British Pharmacopia standard and is greater than 98% pure.
All prices are in Australian dollars
(Packed in heat-sealed re-sealable foil pouches)
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