Beta-Alanine

What is it?
Beta-Alanine is a non-essential beta amino acid, which means that the amino group is at the beta position from the carboxylate group.

The greatest natural sources of Beta-Alanine are carnosine rich foods such as chicken, beef and fish.

Beta-Alanine is also produced as a free-form supplement and is found in many pre-workout and intra-workout supplements.

What does it do?
Beta-Alanine buffers fatigue toxins such as lactic acid from building up, allowing you to train harder for longer (more sets, more reps).

A common side effect of Beta-Alanine is an itching / tingling sensation. This is perfectly normal and harmless.

Combined with a consistent nutrition and workout regime, Beta-Alanine therefore allows you to train harder, for longer, and stimulate more muscle growth. Beta-Alanine can also help increase performance for high intensity cardiovascular events such as sprinting and cycling.

When do I take it?
To take advantage of the fatigue toxin buffering effects of Beta-Alanine, it is best taken 20-30 minutes before working out. Beta-Alanine can be mixed with water, or with any other type of supplement, and consumed.

Dosage?
The clinically validated dose of Beta-Alanine is between 3-5 grams per day, taken in either singular or multiple dosages throughout the day.

3.2 grams per serve is the most common dosage seen in pre-workout supplements.

How much is it?
Beta-Alanine when sold in pure form ranges from $0.30 - $1.00 a serve depending on the size and quality on the product.

Pre-workouts containing Beta-Alanine tend to hover around the $1.00 - $3.00 a serve depending on the size and quality of the product.

Any recommendations?
Currently not sold in just it's pure form at Supps42, we do have a wide variety of pre-workout and intra-workout products containing the validated dosage.

Redcon1 Total War & Muscle Nation Legacy are two pre-workouts that contain the efficacious 3.2g dosage per serve. For those who have never had beta-alanine before and/or dislike the tingling sensation, BSN Endo Rush & Ghost Legend contain a lower 1.5g - 2g per serve.

Do I need it?
Short answer, no.

Long answer, if you want to train harder for longer, push through plateau's and try something that can assist with performance, Beta-Alanine may be a supplement worth giving a go.