What it is
Beta-alanine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in your body and
in foods that contain protein. It’s also a research-supported dietary
supplement that can help athletes enhance their high-intensity
performance.
How it Works
During events requiring sustained high-intensity effort — such as
running or cycling up steep grades; pushing hard to the finish in a
marathon, triathlon, or bike race; cross-training in the gym; running
intervals or middle distances on the track; or competing all out in
any number of sports — there is a substantial breakdown of muscle
glycogen, causing large increases in lactic acid (LaH). This lactic acid
immediately separates into lactate (La-) and hydrogen ion (H+), and
the large increase in H+ during intense exercise is a major contributor
to fatigue. Not only does H+ produce that all-too-familiar burning
sensation, it impairs the ability of your muscles to contract — so you
can’t generate the force needed to make that extra burst up the hill,
to sprint to the finish line, or to complete that one final lift.
Your ability to sustain high-intensity exercise is impacted by a natural
biochemical molecule in your muscles called carnosine. Carnosine
acts as a buffer by helping to neutralize the buildup of muscle acids
that occurs during high-intensity exercise. The more carnosine you
have, the better you’re able to perform at a high intensity. That’s
because with less acid present, your muscles are able to generate full
power for longer. This enables you to train harder and longer and to
reap the performance benefits that come from pushing the limits of
high-intensity training.
Beta-alanine is a key player in this fatigue-fighting story because
it serves as a critical amino acid building block for carnosine.
Research shows that supplementing with beta-alanine boosts muscle
carnosine. Beta-alanine gets the job done.
How to Make it Work for You
To supplement effectively with beta-alanine, adhere to the following
research-supported protocol:
• Plan to start supplementing with PowerBar High Intensity tablets
about 4 weeks before you ramp up your high-intensity training.
These first 4 weeks you will follow a “loading phase” and thereafter
a “maintenance phase.”
• Loading phase: During the first 4 weeks, take two PowerBar High
Intensity tablets twice daily (i.e., four tablets daily, a total dose of
3.2 grams of beta-alanine). Space the two doses at least 3 hours
apart. For example, take two tablets at 10 a.m. and another two
tablets at 1 p.m.
• Maintenance phase: After 4 weeks of use, take two tablets once
daily (for a total daily dose of 1.6 grams of beta-alanine) and
continue this for the duration of your high-intensity training or
competition season. Research indicates that carnosine levels
remain elevated for up to about 9 weeks after beta-alanine
supplementation is discontinued. (Baguet 2009)
• In the off-season, discontinue taking beta-alanine. Plan to start up
again, beginning with the loading phase, about 4 weeks before you
increase your high-intensity training.
