Unless you’re a supplement fan, you probably don’t know what beta-alanine is. This article will change that. Beta-alanine is a great product for anyone looking to train harder and improve their fitness. It’s scientifically proven to help you pump out more reps and last longer in the gym. If you’re sick of fatiguing early and want to try a supplement that actually works, then read below. You’ll learn all about beta-alanine and whether it is right for you
How Does It Work?
You know that pain your muscles feel when working out intensely? This is due to a buildup of lactic acid. Acidic muscles are unable to contract and this is why you fatigue when lifting weights for long periods of time. Luckily we have a molecule called carnosine that helps remove some of this acid. Beta-alanine works by increasing carnosine levels. The higher your carnosine levels, the quicker your body can remove that acid. This is a very simplistic explanation. We aren’t going into depth on all the biological processes that occur in your muscle cells but you get the jist. More beta-alanine equals more carnosine and therefore less acid. Low levels of acid in the muscles means you can train harder for longer.
What Will I Notice?
The most noticeable effect of this supplement is also its main drawback. Beta-alanine is commonly known as the stuff that makes you tingle. High doses of it cause a harmless tingling sensation on your skin. This is known as “paresthesia” and don’t worry, it’s only temporary. Some people love this feeling of spiders crawling on their skin. Others hate it. The amount of tingle you feel will depend on the dose taken. Large amounts of beta-alanine will likely make your skin crawl but moderate doses throughout the day aren’t noticeable. If you like the tingle, take your beta-alanine in one big hit. For those who hate paresthesia, space out your intake instead. We’ll explain more about appropriate dosage below.
Ergogenic Benefits
The primary benefit of this beta-alanine is that it increases your time to fatigue. So many products out there are just placebo whereas this supplement has a clinically proven effect. Study participants who took beta-alanine for 28 days were able to run for much longer periods on the treadmill compared to the group who didn’t supplement. They also experienced significantly less build up of lactate in the muscles. Another study gave football players four grams of beta-alanine per day. Not only did their running endurance improve but their body composition did too. This is likely because beta-alanine enables you to train for longer before getting tired. The ability to push harder during workouts can improve your body composition as you’ll have higher muscle mass and less body fat. This is beneficial for both elite athletes and the average gym goer. If you’re sick of being the last to finish at crossfit or want to pump out a few extra reps on chest day, beta-alanine is something to look into.
How To Take
Interestingly, the timing of beta-alanine ingestion doesn’t matter much. You could have a big scoop before your workout and feel super tingly or you could take small amounts throughout the day. As long as you get the recommended dose, timing is not something to worry about. This is great news for those who don’t want to feel the tingles. You can space your intake out across the day and still reap the ergogenic benefits without itchy skin. The right amount of beta-alanine for you will depend on your bodyweight and individual tolerance. Studies show that anywhere from 3.2-6.4 grams per day is enough to notice an effect. We recommend adding a scoop (five grams) of NZProtein beta-alanine to water or any other beverage. You could drink it all as a pre-workout or sip on it intermittently over the course of a day. Our product is flavourless meaning you don’t have to worry about not liking the flavour. You can easily stack it with other supplements like BCAAs or creatine. This product is both cheap as chips and incredibly versatile. There are very few cons to using beta-alanine but so many potential upsides.
Conclusion
Beta-alanine does more than just make you tingle. For anyone serious about improving their fitness or pushing out a few extra reps, this product is a must try. Although supplements shouldn’t be relied on for everything, this little powder can massively increase your time to exhaustion. You’ll be working harder for longer and pushing yourself to levels you never thought were possible. Don’t just take our word for it. Give it a go and see how you feel. If you want to train better, you gotta try beta!
Written by Lauren Carruthers