Understanding Beta-Alanine
Beta-Alanine is a non essential amino acid that is produced naturally in the body. We can consume Beta- Alanine either through food or using supplements. If you are a fitness enthusiast, you are probably well aware of this kind of amino acid, and the benefits it has to your health and fitness regime. If you are new here… strap yourself in, because we might just revolutionise your fitness journey forever. We’ve been chatting with our pals from Optimum Nutrition to give you an insight into the ins and outs of Beta- Alanine.
Tingles
For those of you who have used products containing Beta-Alanine you will be familiar with "the tingles’’ that come along with it. They are often felt in the fingers, toes or face and their more grown up name is Paresthesia. Like everything, the tingles differ from person to person, with some feeling them very intensely to others feeling nothing at all! Let's delve deeper into this tantalising ingredient and learn more about how it could aid your fitness journey.
The Basics
So where did this all begin? Beta-Alanine is a small piece in a larger puzzle, and this is where Carnosine comes in.
Carnosine is present in the muscles of all mammals (but please note that it is not involved in actually building muscle). It all began in 1938 (yes that long ago!), when scientists started to examine the buffering ability of Carnosine. Buffering is not a term you hear being thrown across the gym floor very often, but it is actually a crucial part of your workout. We’ve all heard of lactic acid build up…that pesky gunk that usually inhibits us from that final rep. When our muscles are working hard, lactic acid causes a decrease in the pH of our muscle tissue and it causes you to feel the burn! Buffering is our body's way of neutralising this acid which reduces muscle fatigue and allows us to workout for longer.
So where does our friend Beta-Alanine come in? Well, supplementing with beta-alanine contributes to an increased concentration of carnosine in the muscles. More carnosine means more buffering capability…more buffering capability means more reps!
Beta-Alanine and Performance
If you’re new here, I hope we’ve given you a kickstart with the benefits of supplementing Beta-Alanine into your fitness regime. If you already use Beta-Alanine, I hope we’ve made it clearer how it actually aids your muscle gain. Supplemented appropriately over time (2-6 grams per day), Beta-Alanine is a quick fire way to improve those Carnosine levels in the muscles. We all know the benefits Carnosine has on your ability to perform longer, but it’s not a one hit wonder… it needs to be incorporated into a healthy fitness regime.
Thank you to Optimum Nutrition for the toe tingling info on Beta-Alanine supplementation!
