Beta-Alanine Fails to Improve Sprint Performance
The amino acid beta-alanine is the limiting amino acid precursor of carnosine, a compound that helps the muscles maintain pH balance during anaerobic exercise. Researchers at the University of Ghent, Belgium, and the University of Chichester, England, recently investigated whether beta-alanine supplementation would raise the carnosine concentration in the calf muscles of trained sprinters and whether it would enhance performance in a pair of strenth/endurance tests and a single-sprint race simulation.
Fifteen male sprinters with 400-meter times under 52 seconds took either a beta-alanine supplement or a placebo daily for four weeks. The athletes completed three performance tests both before and after the supplementation period: a 400-meter sprint, five sets of 30 maximal-effort leg extensions, and a maximal-duration isometric contraction of the knee extensors.
Supplementation increased the carnosine concentration of the gastrocnemius muscle by 37%, compared to a 16% increase in the placebo group. In the multiple-set strength test, the beta-alanine group increased its maximal torque signficantly more than the placebo group in the first two sets but not the last three. Supplementation had no effect on isometric endurance or 400m sprint time.
The study was presented at the 12th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science. |
