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evidence · mechanism · dose
Supplements/Amino Acid

Beta-Alanine

Carnosine precursor buffering muscle pH during high-intensity work (60–240 sec).

Athletic PerformanceMuscle Growth

Overview

Carnosine precursor buffering muscle pH during high-intensity work (60–240 sec).

Natural sources
  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Fish
Common forms
  • Beta-alanine
  • Sustained-release

Mechanism of action

Rate-limiting precursor of intramuscular carnosine, a proton buffer.

Pathways
  • · Carnosine synthesis

Effects on the body

Increases
Intramuscular carnosine
Decreases
Time to muscle fatigue (60–240s)

Organ system effects

Skeletal Muscle

Buffers H+ during glycolytic work.

Evidence-based benefits

Improves performance in 60–240 sec efforts

Strong evidence

Potential side effects

Common
  • · Paresthesia (tingling, harmless)
Rare
    Serious

      Drug interactions

      No notable interactions reported.

      Supplement interactions

      Pairs well with
      • Creatine
        Independent and additive ergogenic effects.
      Avoid combining with

      No specific avoidances listed.

      Dosing & bioavailability

      Typical dose
      3.2–6.4 g/d (divided to reduce tingling)
      Study range
      3.2–6.4 g/d for 4+ weeks

      Where to buy

      Affiliate-style search links to reputable retailers. We don't endorse specific brands — verify third-party testing (USP, NSF, Informed Sport) before purchase.

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      Thorne
      Practitioner-grade · NSF tested

      Scientific evidence (8)

      Systematic reviewJ Int Soc Sports Nutr · 2015

      Beta-alanine for exercise performance: ISSN position

      Trexler ET, et al.

      ISSN review of beta-alanine and performance.

      Key findings

      Improves performance in 1-4 min exercise bouts.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Beta-Alanine — Improves performance in 60–240 sec efforts

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Beta-Alanine Improves performance in 60–240 sec efforts" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Beta-Alanine and "Improves performance in 60–240 sec efforts". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Beta-Alanine — randomized controlled trial

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Beta-Alanine randomized controlled trial" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Beta-Alanine and "randomized controlled trial". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Beta-Alanine — meta-analysis

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Beta-Alanine meta-analysis" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Beta-Alanine and "meta-analysis". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Beta-Alanine — pharmacokinetics

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Beta-Alanine pharmacokinetics" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Beta-Alanine and "pharmacokinetics". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Beta-Alanine — safety adverse events

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Beta-Alanine safety adverse events" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Beta-Alanine and "safety adverse events". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

      PubMed: Beta-Alanine — dose response

      Live PubMed search

      Live results for "Beta-Alanine dose response" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

      Key findings

      Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Beta-Alanine and "dose response". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

      Open study
      Systematic reviewGoogle Scholar · 1970

      Google Scholar: Beta-Alanine — clinical evidence

      Live Scholar search

      Cross-database citation index for Beta-Alanine as it relates to "clinical evidence".

      Key findings

      Includes preprints, theses, and journal articles. Useful for tracking citation counts and follow-on work.

      Open study
      Educational use only. This profile is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic condition.