Beta Alanine

What is Beta-Alanine and how does it work?

Beta-Alanine is a modified version of the amino acid alanine. Unlike most amino acids, it is not used by the body to build proteins. Its role is much more specialized and absolutely crucial from an athlete's perspective.

Beta-Alanine's main function is to serve as a precursor for the production of carnosine. Beta-Alanine itself is not very potent. However, once consumed, it enters muscle cells, where it binds with another amino acid – histidine. The result of this combination is carnosine – a dipeptide whose concentration in muscles is directly limited by the availability of Beta-Alanine. To put it simply: More Beta-Alanine in your diet = more carnosine in your muscles.

Carnosine – how does it work?

And why do we care so much about high levels of carnosine? Because it's one of the most powerful intracellular pH buffers. To understand this, we need to go back to exercise physiology.

During intense exercise (such as sets of 8-15 reps at the gym, sprints, or rounds in combat sports), your body relies heavily on the anaerobic energy pathway (glycolysis). A byproduct of this process is a sharp increase in hydrogen ion (H+) concentration. These ions cause the pH in your muscles to drop, creating a more acidic environment. This condition, often confused with lactic acid, disrupts the function of key energy enzymes and impairs calcium's ability to bind to muscle fibers, directly inhibiting your ability to generate contraction.

The result? A sharp, burning sensation in your muscles and a sudden drop in strength that forces you to stop your sets.

Carnosine acts like a sponge, absorbing excess hydrogen ions (H+). By maintaining muscle pH at a more optimal level, it allows you to continue working out much longer before reaching a breaking point. This mechanism is the core of Beta-Alanine's effects.

What does Beta-Alanine do?

Theory is important, but practice is what counts. Incorporating Beta-Alanine into your regular supplementation regimen brings a number of specific, measurable benefits that you'll feel during every workout.

1. Increased Muscular Endurance and Training Volume

This is the most important and best-documented effect. By delaying muscle failure, Beta-Alanine allows you to:

• Performing more reps: Scientific studies have repeatedly confirmed that Beta-Alanine supplementation allows athletes to perform 1-2 additional reps in sets to failure, especially in the 60-240 second range. It is these last, forced reps that provide the strongest stimulus for growth.
• Higher total volume: More reps in each set translates into significantly greater total training volume (sets x reps x weight). And volume is one of the main drivers of hypertrophy and strength gains.

2. Improving Performance in High-Intensity Sports

Beta-Alanine's effects aren't limited to the gym. It's extremely effective in all disciplines where intense, repetitive bursts dominate:

• Combat Sports: Greater resistance to fatigue during a round allows for maintaining a high strike and defense frequency, as well as preserving strength for clinches or takedowns in the final stages of the fight.
• CrossFit: The ability to maintain a high pace for longer periods during WODs, especially those based on intervals, can be the key to a better result and breaking your own records.
• Sprints and Rowing: In efforts lasting 1 to 4 minutes, where hydrogen ion production is extremely high, Beta-Alanine can significantly improve performance.

3. Synergy with Creatine – The Most Powerful Legal Combination

If there is one supplement with which Beta-Alanine forms a perfect duo, it is creatine monohydrate. They work on completely different, yet complementary, metabolic pathways:

• Creatine: Increases phosphocreatine stores, providing more "fuel" for rapid energy production (ATP) in the first, most explosive seconds of exercise.
• Beta-Alanine: It kicks in a moment later, buffering the side effects of intense exercise and allowing you to use this fuel longer.

The combination of creatine and beta-alanine has been shown in scientific studies to have a synergistic effect, leading to even greater gains in strength, power, and lean body mass than using either supplement alone.

Beta-Alanine - Dosage

Beta-Alanine doesn't work as a temporary boost. You won't feel its power after taking a single serving before training (besides the characteristic tingling sensation). Its effectiveness is based on the gradual saturation of muscles with carnosine. This process usually takes 2 to 4 weeks.

• Daily Dose: Scientific studies indicate that the optimal daily dose of Beta-Alanine is 3.2 to 6.4 grams.
• Division into smaller portions: To avoid a strong tingling sensation (paresthesia) and ensure stable blood levels, it is recommended to divide the daily dose into 2-4 smaller portions (e.g., 4 x 1.6 g or 2 x 3.2 g) taken throughout the day with meals.

Why does the skin itch (tingle) after taking beta-alanine?

After consuming beta-alanine, especially in a single larger dose, many people experience a characteristic tingling sensation, most often on the face, ears, and hands. This is the result of beta-alanine activating specific nerve receptors under the skin. This is a completely normal and harmless phenomenon that subsides after a few dozen minutes. For many, it's actually confirmation that the product is working. If this feeling is uncomfortable for you, simply divide the dose into smaller portions. Choose Beta-Alanine from our offer and see how much potential your muscles still have. We provide only pure, tested Beta-Alanine, which guarantees effectiveness and safety. Stop finishing your set when your muscles are burning. Start finishing when you decide to. 

The Difference Between Beta-Alanine and Alanine 

Although the names sound similar, beta-alanine is an isomer of alanine. Alanine is involved in energy metabolism and gluconeogenesis, while beta-alanine increases carnosine concentration in muscle cells.

How many times a day should I take beta-alanine?

The recommended daily dose of beta-alanine is 3.2–6.4 g, however, for optimal bioavailability and to minimize side effects (e.g., paresthesia), it is worth dividing it into 2–4 servings per day. Regular supplementation for at least 4–8 weeks is necessary to achieve the effect of muscle carnosine saturation.

Does beta-alanine produce a muscle pump?

Not directly. Beta-alanine does not affect blood flow or vasodilation like citrulline or arginine. It works by buffering hydrogen ions in muscles, which delays muscle fatigue during high-intensity exercise. The feeling of a "pump" may be a secondary effect of improved performance, but it is not directly caused by beta-alanine.

Can citrulline be taken with beta-alanine?

Yes, the combination of beta-alanine and citrulline is safe and synergistic. Citrulline increases nitric oxide (NO) production, improving blood flow and the "pump," while beta-alanine increases anaerobic capacity. This duo is especially beneficial for strength-training athletes, CrossFitters, and sprinters.

What are the effects of beta-alanine?

Eta-alanine increases muscle carnosine levels, which:

• improves intracellular pH buffering,
  
  
• increases anaerobic capacity (e.g., in efforts lasting 1–4 minutes),
  
  
• delays the onset of muscle fatigue,
  
  
• supports recovery between sets,
  
  
• may contribute to better training adaptation.
  
  

How much itchy is the skin after beta-alanine?

The so-called Paresthesia (tingling, itching, or burning sensation) occurs in some people after a single dose above 800–1000 mg. The symptoms are transient (usually 30–60 minutes), harmless, but unpleasant. Their intensity depends on individual sensitivity and the absorption rate of the preparation.

Does your body get used to beta-alanine?

Yes – with time of supplementation and the increase in carnosine levels in the muscles, the body adapts and the effects of paresthesia may disappear or significantly decrease. However, this does not mean the supplement's effectiveness has decreased – carnosine levels remain elevated.

Does beta-alanine affect the heart?

Beta-alanine has not been shown to adversely affect heart function. It is a safe supplement for healthy individuals. However, patients with heart disease should exercise caution and consult a doctor before supplementing, especially when combined with other substances that affect the cardiovascular system (e.g., caffeine or NO boosters).

Can beta-alanine be combined with creatine?

Yes, the combination of beta-alanine and creatine is often used and effective. They work complementarily – creatine improves the ability to regenerate ATP, and beta-alanine increases muscle resistance to acidification. This duo supports the development of strength, muscle mass, and performance, without canceling each other's effects.

See also our after-workout supplements