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The Effect Of Beta-alanine And Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation On Muscle Composition And Exercise Performance: 1833 2:00 PM -2:15 PM
... Ingestion of some amino acids has presumable roles in performance improvement in athletes.[1–3] Among them, β-alanine supplementation has been suggested to improve performance during high-intensity exercises.[45] On the other hand, it has been shown that large amounts of H+ are produced in the muscles during high-intensity exercise and result in pH reduction.[6] ...
... Another study demonstrated that supplementation with both β-alanine and creatine improved cycling performance (TTE).[5] ...
... Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) is the main histidine-containing dipeptide in humans.[8] Additionally, Hill et al.[5] and Harris et al.,[9] showed that 28 days of β-alanine supplementation increased intramuscular levels of carnosine by nearly 60%. Antioxidant function[10], muscle contractility regulation,[11] and pH buffering,[1213] are the possible physiological roles of carnosine in skeletal muscle. ...
Supplementation with β-alanine has been proposed to improve performance in some exercises such as cycling and running. Also, it has been demonstrated that great deals of proton ions are produced in the skeletal muscles during exercise that result in acidosis, whereas β-alanine may reduce this effect. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the effects of alanine supplementation on VO(2) max, time to exhaustion and lactate concentrations in physical education male students.
Thirty-nine male physical education students volunteered for this study. Participants were supplemented orally for 6 week with either β-alanine (5*400 mg/d) or placebo (5*400 mg dextrose/d), randomly. VO(2) max and time to exhaustion (TTE) with a continuous graded exercise test (GXT) on an electronically braked cycle ergometer; and serum lactate and glucose concentrations were measured before and after supplementation.
Supplementation with β-alanine showed a significant increase in VO(2) max (P<0.05) and a significant decrease in TTE and lactate concentrations (P<0.05). A significant elevation in lactate concentrations and a non significant increase in TTE were observed in placebo group. Plasma glucose concentrations did not change significantly in two groups after intervention.
It can be concluded that β-alanine supplementation can reduce lactate concentrations during exercise and thus can improve exercise performance in endurance athletes.
... Recent studies by Hill et al. (10) and Harris et al. (8) have demonstrated that 28 days of beta-alanine (b-Ala; 4-6 g·d Ϫ1 ) supplementation increased intramuscular levels of carnosine by approximately 60%. It has been suggested that carnosine serves as a buffer and helps maintain skeletal muscle acid-base homeostasis when a large quantity of H ϩ is produced during high-intensity exercise (19). ...
... Furthermore, there appeared to be no unique or additive effects of CrM on PWC FT compared to b-Ala alone. In agreement, Hill et al. (10) examined the effects of CrM and/or b-Ala supplementation on work completed during cycling to exhaustion at 110% of estimated power maximum in men. The authors reported that 28 days of supplementing b-Ala or CrM increased the amount of work completed; however, there appeared to be no additive effect when both were supplemented simultaneously (10). ...
... In the present study, 28 days of b-Ala supplementation resulted in a significant increase in PWC FT (b-Ala ϭ 14.5%; CrBA ϭ 11%); this may have been caused by an increase in carnosine concentrations, which may have enhanced intramuscular H ϩ buffering capacity (7,8,10,19). Harris et al. (7,8) and Hill et al. (10) have hypothesized that increasing muscle carnosine through b-Ala supplementation will help maintain the intramuscular environment during intensive exercise by countering the accumulation of H ϩ . ...
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 28 days of beta-alanine (b-Ala) and creatine monohydrate (CrM) supplementation on the onset of neuromuscular fatigue by using the physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold (PWC(FT)) test in untrained men. Fifty-one men (mean age +/- SD = 24.5 +/- 5.3 years) volunteered to participate in this 28-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled study and were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: placebo (PLA; 34 g dextrose; n = 13), CrM (5.25 g CrM plus 34 g dextrose; n = 12), b-Ala (1.6 g b-Ala plus 34 g of dextrose; n = 12), or b-Ala plus CrM (CrBA; 5.25 g CrM plus 1.6 g b-Ala plus 34 g dextrose; n = 14). The supplement was ingested 4 times per day for 6 consecutive days, then twice per day for 22 days before posttesting. Before and after the supplementation, subjects performed a continuous incremental cycle ergometry test while a surface electromyographic signal was recorded from the vastus lateralis muscle to determine PWC(FT). The adjusted mean posttest PWC(FT) values (covaried for pretest PWC(FT) values) for the b-Ala and CrBA groups were greater than those for the PLA group (p < or = 0.05). However, there were no differences between the CrM vs. PLA, CrBA vs. b-Ala, CrM vs. b-Ala, or CrM vs. CrBA groups (p > 0.05). These findings suggested that b-Ala supplementation may delay the onset of neuromuscular fatigue. Furthermore, there appeared to be no additive or unique effects of CrM vs. b-Ala alone on PWC(FT).
... Other trials noted elevated carnosine from oral β-alanine. At rates of 4-6 g· day −1 , four weeks of β-alanine raised intramuscular carnosine ~60% [47][48][49]. A 56-day β-alanine treatment at lower doses (2-4 g· day −1 ) elicited slightly less (50%) carnosine accrual [18,25,49,50]. ...
... Oral β-alanine as an Ergogenic Aid to Exercise Performance Consequently research examined the role of oral β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance; which has yielded mixed results. Many β-alanine trials simply examined for the presence of an ergogenic effect [44,[46][47][48][49], and could not accurately quantify the full merits of this dietary supplement. One such study randomized college-age men to a placebo or β-alanine treatment with no crossover [49]. ...
β-alanine is an amino acid that, when combined with histidine, forms the dipeptide carnosine within skeletal muscle. Carnosine and β-alanine each have multiple purposes within the human body; this review focuses on their roles as ergogenic aids to exercise performance and suggests how to best quantify the former's merits as a buffer. Carnosine normally makes a small contribution to a cell's total buffer capacity; yet β-alanine supplementation raises intracellular carnosine concentrations that in turn improve a muscle's ability to buffer protons. Numerous studies assessed the impact of oral β-alanine intake on muscle carnosine levels and exercise performance. β-alanine may best act as an ergogenic aid when metabolic acidosis is the primary factor for compromised exercise performance. Blood lactate kinetics, whereby the concentration of the metabolite is measured as it enters and leaves the vasculature over time, affords the best opportunity to assess the merits of β-alanine supplementation's ergogenic effect. Optimal β-alanine dosages have not been determined for persons of different ages, genders and nutritional/health conditions. Doses as high as 6.4 g day(-1), for ten weeks have been administered to healthy subjects. Paraesthesia is to date the only side effect from oral β-alanine ingestion. The severity and duration of paraesthesia episodes are dose-dependent. It may be unwise for persons with a history of paraesthesia to ingest β-alanine. As for any supplement, caution should be exercised with β-alanine supplementation.
... Generally, in activities where bodyweight is eliminated from the tests (e.g., in medium and long-term cycle ergometers in a laboratory environment), ergogenic effects of CrM supplementation are demonstrated [3,18,19,20]. However, when bodyweight is a variable that can influence performance, for example, running or swimming in a field test, the performance benefits are low [6,7]. ...
Creatine monohydrate (CrM) supplementation is not recommended for athletes with weight-gain restriction due to its significant water retention adverse effect. Because of this CrM limitation, creatine hydrochloride (CrHCl) was presented in the market. Compared to CrM, CrHCl possesses a different pharmacokinetic and, in theory, could not promote weight gain similar to CrM. However, several aspects related to the stability and efficiency of this new CrHCl molecule need to be investigated and compared to the traditional CrM. This article reviewed the experimental articles that evaluated both weight and body water gain after CrM or CrHCl supplementation. Also, we discuss the possible limitation on performance enhancement of CrM in physical activities where bodyweight influences performance. We will propose CrHCl as an alternative creatine supplement source for the athlete’s population, which has weight-gain restrictions. Finally, we will indicate several research questions that must be answered before the CrHCl recommendation for the population of athletes with weight gain restrictions.
... A limitation of the current study is that we did not measure muscle carnosine content, which would have quantified the efficacy of our supplementation protocol (6.4 g·day −1 for 28 days). However, our -alanine supplementation protocol is similar to that used by Hill et al. (2005), whose participants consumed 4.0-6.4 g·day −1 of -alanine for 28 days and exhibited a significant increase in muscle carnosine content of 59% (vastus lateralis). ...
The present study investigated the effects of β-alanine supplementation on the resultant blood acidosis, lactate accumulation, and energy provision during supramaximal-intensity cycling, as well as the aerobic and anaerobic contribution to power output during a 4000-m cycling time trial (TT). Seventeen trained cyclists (maximal oxygen uptake = 4.47 ± 0.55 L·min⁻¹) were administered 6.4 g of β-alanine (n = 9) or placebo (n = 8) daily for 4 weeks. Participants performed a supramaximal cycling test to exhaustion (equivalent to 120% maximal oxygen uptake) before (PreExh) and after (PostExh) the 4-week supplementation period, as well as an additional postsupplementation supramaximal cycling test identical in duration and power output to PreExh (PostMatch). Anaerobic capacity was quantified and blood pH, lactate, and bicarbonate concentrations were measured pre-, immediately post-, and 5 min postexercise. Subjects also performed a 4000-m cycling TT before and after supplementation while the aerobic and anaerobic contributions to power output were quantified. β-Alanine supplementation increased time to exhaustion (+12.8 ± 8.2 s; P = 0.041) and anaerobic capacity (+1.1 ± 0.7 kJ; P = 0.048) in PostExh compared with PreExh. Performance time in the 4000-m TT was reduced following β-alanine supplementation (−6.3 ± 4.6 s; P = 0.034) and the mean anaerobic power output was likely to be greater (+6.2 ± 4.5 W; P = 0.035). β-Alanine supplementation increased time to exhaustion concomitant with an augmented anaerobic capacity during supramaximal intensity cycling, which was also mirrored by a meaningful increase in the anaerobic contribution to power output during a 4000-m cycling TT, resulting in an enhanced overall performance.
... t between individuals. It was recently demonstrated that 15 weeks of oral creatine supplementation can substantially elevate muscle carnosine content in mice. [69] The mechanism for this phenomenon remains elusive at present. However, in humans, a carnosine loading effect of a short (1 week) period of oral creatine supplementation was not observed. [86] 4.5 b-Alanine Supplementation b-Alanine supplementation is probably one of the most powerful means to elevate muscle carnosine content (figures 2 and 4). The development of b-alanine as a useful nutritional supplement has emerged from the elegant work of Roger Harris and co-workers, who demonstrated , first in horses [81] and later in h ...
Carnosine is a dipeptide with a high concentration in mammalian skeletal muscle. It is synthesized by carnosine synthase from the amino acids L-histidine and beta-alanine, of which the latter is the rate-limiting precursor, and degraded by carnosinase. Recent studies have shown that the chronic oral ingestion of beta-alanine can substantially elevate (up to 80%) the carnosine content of human skeletal muscle. Interestingly, muscle carnosine loading leads to improved performance in high-intensity exercise in both untrained and trained individuals. Although carnosine is not involved in the classic adenosine triphosphate-generating metabolic pathways, this suggests an important role of the dipeptide in the homeostasis of contracting muscle cells, especially during high rates of anaerobic energy delivery. Carnosine may attenuate acidosis by acting as a pH buffer, but improved contractile performance may also be obtained by improved excitation-contraction coupling and defence against reactive oxygen species. High carnosine concentrations are found in individuals with a high proportion of fast-twitch fibres, because these fibres are enriched with the dipeptide. Muscle carnosine content is lower in women, declines with age and is probably lower in vegetarians, whose diets are deprived of beta-alanine. Sprint-trained athletes display markedly high muscular carnosine, but the acute effect of several weeks of training on muscle carnosine is limited. High carnosine levels in elite sprinters are therefore either an important genetically determined talent selection criterion or a result of slow adaptation to years of training. beta-Alanine is rapidly developing as a popular ergogenic nutritional supplement for athletes worldwide, and the currently available scientific literature suggests that its use is evidence based. However, many aspects of the supplement, such as the potential side effects and the mechanism of action, require additional and thorough investigation by the sports science community.
Carnosine is a dipeptide with a high concentration in mammalian skeletal muscle. It is synthesized by carnosine synthase from the amino acids L-histidine and beta-alanine, of which the latter is the rate-limiting precursor, and degraded by carnosinase. Recent studies have shown that the chronic oral ingestion of beta-alanine can substantially elevate (up to 80%) the carnosine content of human skeletal muscle. Interestingly, muscle carnosine loading leads to improved performance in high-intensity exercise in both untrained and trained individuals. Although carnosine is not involved in the classic adenosine triphosphate-generating metabolic pathways, this suggests an important role of the dipeptide in the homeostasis of contracting muscle cells, especially during high rates of anaerobic energy delivery. Carnosine may attenuate acidosis by acting as a pH buffer, but improved contractile performance may also be obtained by improved excitation-contraction coupling and defence against reactive oxygen species. High carnosine concentrations are found in individuals with a high proportion of fast-twitch fibres, because these fibres are enriched with the dipeptide. Muscle carnosine content is lower in women, declines with age and is probably lower in vegetarians, whose diets are deprived of beta-alanine. Sprint-trained athletes display markedly high muscular carnosine, but the acute effect of several weeks of training on muscle carnosine is limited. High carnosine levels in elite sprinters are therefore either an important genetically determined talent selection criterion or a result of slow adaptation to years of training. beta-Alanine is rapidly developing as a popular ergogenic nutritional supplement for athletes worldwide, and the currently available scientific literature suggests that its use is evidence based. However, many aspects of the supplement, such as the potential side effects and the mechanism of action, require additional and thorough investigation by the sports science community.
The nutritional supplement beta alanine has received much attention lately due to its role in increasing skeletal muscle camosine synthesis. As muscle camosine plays an important role in pH buffering and antioxidant function, many believe that supplementation with beta alanine is useful for athletes deriving a significatbn portion of their energy from anaerobic pathways. The following preliminary review examines the question of whether or not beta alanine supplementation can improve training and or performance outcomes. As research interest in beta alanine is fairly recent and the number of published papers is limited, scientific abstracts and conference presentations have also been included in the review.
Few supplement combinations that are marketed to athletes are supported by scientific evidence of their effectiveness. Under the rigor of scientific investigation, we often see that the patented combination fails to provide any greater benefit when compared to an active (generic) ingredient. The focus of this chapter is supplement combinations and dosing strategies that are effective at promoting an acute physiological response that may improve/enhance exercise performance and/or influence chronic adaptations desired from training. In recent years, there has been a particular focus on two nutrition ergogenic aids—creatine monohydrate and protein/amino acids—in combination with specific nutrients in an effort to augment or add to their already established independent ergogenic effects. These combinations and others are discussed in this chapter.
Without question, since its over the counter availability to consumers in 1992, creatine has become one of the most popular nutritional supplements among exercise and sport populations. In addition to its popularity, creatine has become one of the most extensively studied and research validated products that have been experimentally dissected in a multitude of ways. Specifically, investigators have evaluated topics such as muscle-creatine content and phosphocreatine resynthesis, short-and long-term ergogenic effects of creatine ingestion, gender issues associated with creatine ingestion, age-specific issues related to creatine ingestion, ethical considerations of creatine ingestion, viable clinical and medical applications of creatine ingestion, health and safety concerns regarding creatine ingestion, and more recently relevant biochemical mechanisms regarding the creatine transport system. Although each of these research approaches have greatly contributed to the body of creatine literature, it is first imperative to grasp various foundational aspects associated with understanding this controversial nutritional supplement. With these considerations in mind, the purpose of this chapter is to set the stage for a creatine overview regarding the following information: (1) creatine facts, fallacies, and safety (2) creatine quality, purity, and formulations, (3) creatine dosage protocols, (4) creatine nutritional supplement combinations, (5) foundational creatine ergogenic efficacy, (6) future creatine research options, and (7) common creatine practical applications.
Few supplement combinations that are marketed to athletes are supported by scientific evidence of their effectiveness. Quite
often, under the rigor of scientific investigation, the patented combination fails to provide any greater benefit than a group
given the active (generic) ingredient. The focus of this chapter is supplement combinations and dosing strategies that are
effective at promoting an acute physiological response that may improve/enhance exercise performance or influence chronic
adaptations desired from training. In recent years, there has been a particular focus on two nutritional ergogenic aids—creatine
monohydrate and protein/amino acids—in combination with specific nutrients in an effort to augment or add to their already
established independent ergogenic effects. These combinations and others are discussed in this chapter.
Key wordsAcute–Chronic–Supplementation–Aerobic–Anaerobic–Exercise performance–Resistance training–Protein–Amino acids–Carbohydrate–Creatine monohydrate–Protein balance–Glycogen resynthesis–Sodium–
d-Pinotol–HMβ–Sodium bicarbonate–Caffeine–Ephedrine
The dipeptide carnosine has been shown to contribute to the buffer capacity of hydrogen ions (H) during intense exercise. Increasing skeletal muscle carnosine levels through beta-alanine (BA) supplementation has been shown to maintain acid-base balance, delay fatigue, and improve exercise performance. We designed this study to examine the effect of 5 weeks of BA supplementation on repeat high-intensity sprint performance. Nineteen, physically active, college men were divided into 2 groups (control [C], n = 10 or BA, n = 9). We performed double-blind placebo-controlled study where subjects ingested 4 g per day during the first week and 6 g per day over the next 4 weeks of a placebo (rice flour) or a BA supplement. Subjects completed 2 sets of 5 5-second sprints with 45-second recovery separated by 2 minutes of active recovery. All tests were conducted on a non-motorized treadmill against a resistance of 15% of the participant's body weight. We recorded horizontal power (HP) of the running sprint. Post-exercise capillary blood samples were analyzed for lactate to determine the metabolic demands. There were no significant between-group differences (p > 0.05) in HPpeak or HPmean for the repeat sprint protocol. No significant between-group differences were found for performance decrement (% fatigue) for HPpeak or HPmean. In addition, no significant interactions were observed. Post-exercise blood lactate values were similar pre and post supplementation in both groups. The results of this study clearly indicate that 5 weeks of BA supplementation provides no benefit for repeat sprint performance.
The effect of beta-alanine (beta-Ala) alone or in combination with creatine monohydrate (Cr) on aerobic exercise performance is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 4 weeks of beta-Ala and Cr supplementation on indices of endurance performance. Fifty-five men (24.5 +/- 5.3 yrs) participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study and randomly assigned to one of 4 groups; placebo (PL, n = 13), creatine (Cr, n = 12), beta-alanine (beta-Ala, n = 14), or beta-alanine plus creatine (CrBA, n = 16). Prior to and following supplementation, participants performed a graded exercise test on a cycle ergometer to determine VO(2peak), time to exhaustion (TTE), and power output, VO(2), and percent VO(2peak) associated with VT and LT. No significant group effects were found. However, within groups, a significant time effect was observed for CrBa on 5 of the 8 parameters measured. These data suggest that CrBA may potentially enhance endurance performance.
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