More Negative Results for Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is an amino acid that the body uses to form carnosine, a compound present in muscle cells that buffers acids produced during intense exercise and thereby delays fatigue. Early research on beta-alanine supplementation provided some evidence that it may increase anaerobic endurance to a greater degree than exercise training alone. More recent research has not validated these results, however.
The most recent study on the effects of beta-alanine supplementation on exercise performance was conducted by researchers at the University of Oklahoma. Forty-six men were separated into three groups. Members of two groups completed a six-week program of high-intensity interval training while those in the third group did not exercise. One of the two exercise groups received supplemental beta-alanine while the other received a placebo. Before and after the six-week study period members of all groups performed a maximum-effort exercise test consisting of four, two-minute bouts on a cycling ergometer. The electromyographic fatigue threshold [EMG(FT)] and efficiency of electrical activity [EEA] were measured. Members of both exercise groups exhibited significant improvements in both of these measures, while members of the non-exercise group showed no improvement. There was no difference in the degree of improvement seen in the beta-alanine and placebo groups.
The authors of the study, which was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, wrote, "In conclusion, [high-intensity interval training] appeared to be the primary stimulus effecting [sic] EMG(FT) or EEA, suggesting adaptations from HIIT may be more influential than increasing skeletal muscle carnosine levels on delaying fatigue in recreationally active men." |
