BETA-ALANINE – HOW AND WHY IT CAN HELP YOU TO TRAIN HARDER

By Brandon Pieterse

Beta-Alanine is most commonly found in large doses in many pre-workout and intra-workout supplements. Naturally, you will find Beta-Alanine in carnosine rich foods. These include chicken, beef and fish amongst others.

The main function of Bet-Alanine is to increase the concentration of carnosine in the muscle tissue.  Carnosine will react with the oxygen in your body, creating a potent buffer against the fatigue toxin production in working muscles of the body. This will in turn lead to better performance in the gym – more reps, more sets and an ability to train for longer without fatigue setting in as quickly. By combining Beta-Alanine with a sensible diet and workout regime, it will allow you to train harder, for longer, and stimulate more muscle growth.

Beta-Alanine is also incredibly powerful when it comes to high intensity cardiovascular events such as sprinting and cycling.

In order to take advantage of the beneficial effects of Beta-Alanine, it is best taken 20-30 minutes before a workout. Beta-Alanine can be mixed with water, or with any other type of supplement, and consumed. However the majority of good quality pre-workouts will have the clinical dose of Beta-Alanine in the,. The clinical dose of Beta-Alanine is between 3-5 grams per day, taken in either singular or multiple dosages throughout the day. It will begin working as soon as it enters the bloodstream, i.e. within 20-30 minutes after consumption.

One of the side effects many individuals experience is an immediate tingling sensation known as parethesia in various locations of the body, usually the facial area. This will fade after 15 minutes or so but this harmless side effect can be avoided by using a smaller dose.