Beta-Alanine is a naturally occurring beta amino acid. Taking Beta Alanine has been shown to delay fatigue during exercise. So how can Beta-Alanine help delay muscle fatigue? The answer is simple: Carnosine. Carnosine occures naturally in meats such as chicken breast and is very high in animals with a capacity for sprinting. When consumed, Carnosine which is a di-peptide consisting of Beta-Alanine and Histidine, is rapidly hydrolyzed in blood plasma by the enzyme carnosinase. Beta-Alanine is transported along with Histidine into the skeletal muscle and resynthesized back into carnosine.
Carnosine and Beta Alanine are currently being studied in hopes to find out if they have any effects on free radicals in the body in order to help fight oxidative stress. Oxidative Stress is a product of exercise has been associated with muscle fatigue.
Many products continued to hit the market touting the effectivness of Beta-Alanine and how it is the next creatine. So far, I have not heard anyone say differently. Many of the users of products such as Black Betas and InraXcell are posting big gains in strength and experiencing longer training sessions. The effects of creatine combined with Beta-Alanine are still being studied, but initial reactions seem mixed. There DOES NOT seem to be an added benefit of taking beta-analine with creatine but more studies need to be done.
