fbpx

Sports Nutrition Supplement: Beta-Alanine
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Everything you need to know about beta-alanine and if it’s right for you

Beta-alanine on a counter with a dumbbell weight.

In the world of sports nutrition, once daily nutrition and sport specific nutrition strategies are in place, athletes are often wondering what else they can be doing to boost their performance.  

Supplementation can be beneficial in some situations and beta-alanine is one of those more common supplements that may be of use. 

What is Beta-Alanine? 

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that is used in the body to produce carnosine. Carnosine is a substance that helps to buffer acid in the muscles. This helps to improve muscle endurance and reduce fatigue.  

Beta-alanine has become a common dietary supplement, used by athletes and bodybuilders, to help improve training and performance.  

Can I Get Beta-Alanine from Food Sources?  

Beta-alanine is found in a variety of food sources! Meats like chicken or beef contain the highest concentrations of beta-alanine naturally. Other food sources include: fish, pork, dairy products, quinoa, and lentils.  

Vegans and vegetarians may benefit more from supplementation of beta-alanine as they have a reduced variety of food sources of beta-alanine.  

The Benefits of Beta-Alanine | Would Supplementation Help Me?  

Beta-alanine can only do so much for improving sport performance. You still need to ensure that you are eating adequate amounts, eating frequently enough, and also planning your nutrition strategies around your training and competitions. If you have already been taking care of the sports nutrition basics, then you are more likely to see the benefit from beta-alanine supplementation.  

Beta-alanine helps to improve performance in short-duration, high intensity exercises.  

So this means that is would be most beneficial in weight lifting, high-intensity interval training, in sports that include big power outputs such as jumping and sprinting, and in team sports that require short-energy bursts (soccer, hockey, basketball, etc).  

Where beta-alanine is likely to fall short is in endurance sports such a long distance running or cycling. These types of sports tend to use a different energy system and so fatigue results for different reasons making beta-alanine supplementation less effective.  

Is Beta-Alanine Safe?

Beta-alanine is considered safe and is typically well tolerated when taken in recommended doses.  

It is recommended to speak to a healthcare professional, such as a registered dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition, before taking dietary supplements such as beta-alanine. They can help you make the most of your supplementation routine. 

What are the Side Effects of Beta-Alanine? 

The most common side effect is a temporary tingling sensation on the skin called parethesia. This is a harmless side effect that is caused by the increase in carnosine levels in the muscles.  

Other potential side effects include itching, flushing, headaches, and burning although these are less common.  

Some people do experience nausea or dizziness with beta-alanine supplementation, especially if taken on an empty stomach or in higher doses.  

Man jogging on a track

Choosing a Beta-Alanine Supplement 

There are many beta-alanine supplements available. The best one for you is going to be individual to your preferences and needs. However, there are some considerations to look at:  

  • What is the dose per serving?  
  • What form is the supplement in? (Powder, capsule)  
  • Are there other ingredients in this supplement that I need to consider?  

For the majority of my athletes, I do not recommend taking a beta-alanine supplement that is part of a pre-workout supplement containing caffeine and caffeine like substances.  

Beta-Alanine Dosage 

The recommended dose of beta-alanine will vary some between athletes and also depends on the specific product you are using.  

The most common dosage recommended is between 2-5 grams per day. Ideally, this dose is split up into 2-3 servings taken with meals each day.  

However, most people will start with a lower dose and build up over time as this will reduce the chance of experiencing side effects like muscle tingling and itching.  

Beta-alanine takes time to be effective because it has to slowly build up in the muscles. It will take several weeks of consistent use to reach peak levels of carnosine in the muscles from beta-alanine supplementation.  

Additionally, beta-alanine supplementation should be cycled. This means that you do not supplement it forever. It should be taken for a period of time and then take a break to allow your body to maintain the Beta-alanine benefits without relying on this external source. A knowledgeable dietitian can help you target the timing of when you cycle on this supplementation as you want to ensure you are timing it to when you need peak performance.  

If you are curious about performance nutrition or how a supplementation routine may impact your training, please reach out to our team at Health Stand Nutrition to see if we can help. 

Wondering how to fuel your body so you can perform at your best? Our Sports Nutritionists can help.

Our Sports Nutritionist team specializes in performance and results driven nutrition strategies for athletes and recreational fitness enthusiasts.

Since we are dietitians (not salesy supplement marketers), we can also provide you unbiased professional advice about supplements you are curious about. Our university training as Registered Dietitians and access to scientific databases for the latest research cuts through the misinformation and gets you the reliable facts.

If you enjoyed this blog, check out our other articles on related topics:

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

As seen in

  •  

Success stories

"I am a psychologist in private practice and it is very important to me that my clients have the best care with other health care professionals. For that reason Health Stand Nutrition is my only source for exceptional Dietitians. Andrea and her team provide highly knowledgeable, compassionate, and real world support to my clients who require assistance with food lifestyle. I trust my clients to them and you would be in excellent hands making them part of your health care team."
Adele Fox, Psychologist
“This is the first time I feel satisfied; my cravings have diminished dramatically and I have a whole new relationship with food. I am eating guilt-free for the first time in my life. My energy has also dramatically increased and I feel great!
Rhonda Jenkins, Nutrition Counseling Client
“The Dieticians at Health Stand Nutrition help you to take action on the science behind eating well by making it practical, understandable, and fun. Their office is cozy and not at all clinical or intimidating. I felt like I was sitting down with a really smart, caring friend who wanted to help me make the best choices for my lifestyle and food preferences. They really are the best in the business.”
Marty Avery, Nutrition Counseling Client
“I have come to think of the program as a one stop shopping excursion for everything one needs to know about creating a joyous relationship with food and our bodies. In a single word, the course has gifted me with freedom from the punishing rigidity of disordered eating, old stories that never were true, and body dysmorphia that did nothing but make me lose sight of a body that has done everything I've asked, despite my careless dismissal of her needs. Now when I look in the mirror I find myself shifting from harsh criticism to gentle gratitude.”
Lynn Haley, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant
“I spent 3 hours when first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I learned more from my Dietitian about food in those 3 hours than I had learned in all the years of my life. I also love the newsletter, there is always something to learn.”
Peter Whitehead, Nutrition Counseling Client
“I didn’t realize how strong my “diet mentality” was, and all the rules I had in my head about food. I was in a cycle of reward/punish/binge/cringe. I booked with your business very reluctantly, on the repeated advice of my doctor, to get my slowly rising cholesterol levels in check. I thought I knew everything about food, and my behaviour with food, but I was definitely re-schooled. My weight is creeping down, I feel good about my diet, exercise, body image, and lifestyle.”
Amy Floyd, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Thanks Andrea for an amazing presentation, I have heard all positive remarks from attendees and the evaluations show the same sentiment. It is really gratifying when a speaker does their “homework” and weaves in our profession’s day to day challenges within their content, you did an awesome job of this! You truly took the “die” out of Dietician! Your information on healthy eating and simplifying how we can work towards this as we are all so busy really hit the mark. Andrea connects very well with her audience; she is energetic, funny, and very approachable.”
Carole Ann LaGrange, Transfusion Medicine Safety Officer

Event Planner for Laboratory Diagnostic Imaging Annual Event

I am a family physician who sees patients with a myriad of eating concerns – from wanting to know how to plan healthy meals for active families, to weight loss, to eating disorders, and so on. I cannot recommend the Health Stand team highly enough. I have worked with (and been to!) other Dieticians in the past and too often find that they just ask for food logs and make suggestions that are easily obtained online or in books. The Dieticians at Health Stand offer much more than just telling clients what they “should be eating.” In contrast, the team really does more of a counselling practice, and they work hard to help their clients learn more about why their eating habits may be off track and not optimal for them, as well as helping people to effect change at a deep level that, most importantly, is sustainable for lifetime health.”
Dr. Deb Putnam, Family Physician

Nutrition Counseling Client & Referring Physician

“I am a busy mom, with kids in high level sports, working full-time downtown, and running our home acreage outside the City. I now have the knowledge and tools I need to plan for and manage the chaos of meal planning.”
Gillian Gray, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant
“As a construction company, we select speakers who can relate to our industry and its employees. Andrea’s message was delivered with humor and empathy. She makes people feel as though they can make changes without leaving behind every favorite food. Andrea focused her presentation on healthy eating as a way to keep energy high throughout the day. This message and the way it was delivered resonated with our predominantly male, blue collar culture. I would highly recommend Andrea as a speaker for groups such as ours. She will get your message across without alienating anyone in your audience – which is a huge hurdle when trying to introduce a wellness program in the workplace!”
Stephanie Wood, HR and Safety Manager

Fisher Construction Group, Burlington, WA

I found my Dietitian warm, funny, and skilled at teaching nutrition concepts without the overwhelm. The general approach of each session was to mix science with emotion, which was exceedingly effective in helping me shift my perspective on food from one of anxiety to one of joy and curiosity.”
Erin Kronstedt, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Excellent presentation! What a refreshing change to have a speaker inspire rather than “lecture” about nutrition. Your captivating stories, tips and overall approach to healthy eating uplifts and puts people at ease. It was great to hear we don’t need to strive to be perfect eaters, and that small changes really can make a difference in how we feel and in our health. Thanks to Andrea, we have solutions to our everyday nutrition challenges that can actually work in real life!”
Tina Tamagi, Human Resources

ARC Resources Ltd.

“Had I not joined this course I would have struggled with no focus, low energy, and mindless eating. Excellent teaching and motivation. This is not just a course, it is a nutrition club with mentorship, support, and connections with other people with similar situations.”
Lorri Lawrence, Pursuit of Healthiness online course participant

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This