Ergogenic Effects of β-Alanine Supplementation on Different Sports Modalities: Strong Evidence or Only Incipient Findings?

Abstract

Brisola, GMP and Zagatto, AM. Ergogenic effects of β-alanine supplementation on different sports modalities: strong evidence or only incipient findings? J Strength Cond Res 33(1): 253–282, 2019—β-Alanine supplementation is a popular nutritional ergogenic aid among the sports community. Due to its efficacy, already proven in the literature, to increase the intramuscular carnosine content (β-alanyl-L-histidine), whose main function is intramuscular buffering, β-alanine supplementation has become a nutritional strategy to improve performance, mainly in high-intensity efforts. However, although many studies present evidence of the efficacy of β-alanine supplementation in high-intensity efforts, discrepancies in outcomes are still present and the performance enhancing effects seem to be related to the specificities of each sport discipline, making it difficult for athletes/coaches to interpret the efficacy of β-alanine supplementation. Thus, this study carried out a review of the literature on this topic and summarized, analyzed, and critically discussed the findings with the objective of clarifying the current evidence found in the literature on different types of efforts and sport modalities. The present review revealed that inconsistencies are still found in aerobic parameters determined in incremental tests, except for physical working capacity at the neuromuscular fatigue threshold. Inconsistencies are also found for strength exercises and intermittent high-intensity efforts, whereas in supramaximal continuous mode intermittent exercise, the beneficial evidence is strong. In sports modalities, the evidence should be analyzed separately for each sporting modality. Thus, sports modalities that have strong evidence of the ergogenic effects of β-alanine supplementation are: cycling race of 4 km, rowing race of 2,000 m, swimming race of 100 and 200 m, combat modalities, and water polo. Finally, there is some evidence of slight additional effects on physical performance from cosupplementation with sodium bicarbonate.

One-Week High-Dose β-Alanine Loading Improves World Tour Cyclists’ Time-Trial Performance

“…In the present study we employed a total cumulative amount of 155 g in a single (loading) week, which is a short time compared to other studies. The amount is within the range of the majority of the studies reviewed with cyclists, which supplied approximately 130–200 g, over 4–8 weeks, with variable results [ 2 ], but in the present study, 155 g of β-ala was sufficient to elicit benefits. This is encouraging, since such high rate loading protocols can enable short-term carnosine loading, which is a prevailing handicap in the study and usage of β-ala.…”

“…Intake of β-alanine (β-ala) has become popular in high-level athletes, becoming one of the world’s most popular supplements, and being one of the five currently endorsed by the International Olympic Committee [ 1 ]. Once inside the organism, it must be combined with L-histidine (L-his) to form a dipeptide called carnosine (Carn), which exerts the ergogenic effect associated with various physiological functions such as antioxidant activity, prevention of protein glycation reactions, increased sensitivity of calcium in muscle contraction, and a great capacity for intracellular buffering of hydrogen (H + ) [ 2 , 3 ]. Supplementing with supraphysiological doses is one of the most effective methods of increasing muscle.…”

“…Professional world-tour road cycling is a sport with prodigious aerobic demands, but it has climbing segments and sprints intervals which force the rider to perform above its physical steady state, relying on the anaerobic glycolytic system for ATP renewal (producing an intramuscular pH decline by the H + ions produced) which eventually reduces power during short-duration high-intensity bouts by muscle acidosis accumulation after repeated efforts in mountain ascents and sprints [ 11 ]. It is in these bouts, and especially in the time-trial (TT) stages, where supplementation with β-ala could help to maintain power output within each TT between races, but different outcomes were observed in trained or moderately trained cyclists [ 2 ] and further testing in highly trained cyclists is required. The high-intensity nature of competition, as well as a demanding schedule of international competition, frequently leads to overreaching.…”

Nutrition and supplementation in football - practical guidelines based on current literature review

“…There are no adverse health effects following appropriate supplementation protocols [46]. ß-alanine is a very popular ergogenic agent, with about 61% of athletes in team sports using this supplement [62,63]. ß-alanine supplementation can increase muscle carnosine levels, increase intramuscular buffering, improve performance during high-intensity intermittent exercise, and is a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code-compliant supplement [63].…”

Increased Bioavailability of β-Alanine by a Novel Controlled-Release Powder Blend Compared to a Slow-Release Tablet

“…β-Alanine is a sports supplement with increasing relevance due to its ability to improve physical performance in several mixed sports and exercise tests by trained and untrained individuals [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. It increases the muscle stores of the intracellular dipeptide carnosine [1,8,9], and it is the rate limiting amino acid in its synthesis when binded with L-histidine.…”