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4 min read<\/p>\n4 min read<\/p>\n
ANYONE WHO’S TRIED to bulk up knows building muscle takes time and effort.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re talking years of consistent strength training and plenty of protein. Many supplements, like beta-alanine, promise they can help make muscle building faster and easier\u2014even those only a few can.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that the FDA does not closely regulate the supplement market. That means companies can technically advertise any health benefit<\/a> to sell their products\u2014even if there’s little (or no) scientific evidence to support the claims.<\/p>\n What does that mean for beta-alanine, then? Does it actually help the body build muscle, or is it all just a marketing trap? We broke down the science.<\/p>\n What is Beta-alanine?<\/p>\n \u201cBETA-ALANINE IS A nonessential amino acid\u2014meaning your body can naturally produce all it needs through food alone,” says registered dietitian Maddie Pasquariello, MS, RD<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fair warning: Here’s where things about beta-alanine get geeky.<\/p>\n Most amino acids form the building blocks of protein, which participate in nearly every cellular reaction in the body. The most notable are its role in building muscle mass.<\/p>\n \u201cBeta-alanine is used to synthesize carnosine, a molecule that is stored in muscles and helps improve performance,\u201d says Pasquariello. \u201cYou can increase your beta-alanine consumption through your food choices, specifically foods that are rich in carnosine.\u201d The breakdown of carnosine results in histidine and beta-alanine.<\/p>\n But all these athletic performance promises are what makes beta-alanine supplements so appealing. \u201cBeta-alanine is among the most widely researched amino acids, given its popularity as a pre-workout supplement and endurance aid for athletes,\u201d says Pasquariello.<\/p>\n What are the Health Benefits of Beta-alanine?<\/p>\n THE TL;DR VERSION is that beta-alanine helps in the production of carnosine.<\/p>\n A slightly longer explanation is that carnosine is a molecule found in high concentrations in muscle tissue and is an important part of increasing muscular strength and reducing muscular fatigue. Beta-alanine supplements help in this endeavor. Research in soldiers who regularly have high-intensity training showed increased carnosine levels in the brain<\/a>, leading to increased muscular performance and greater mental resilience.<\/p>\n Researchers studying beta-alanine\u2019s effects on athletes<\/a> found potential benefits for sustaining muscular endurance and power, and for reducing muscular fatigue, as well as improving muscle torque during dynamic movements. Pasquariello says that beta-alanine is more likely to exert a benefit for fast-twitch muscle fibers. As a refresher, these are the muscles used during exercises that are intense but shorter in duration, such as weightlifting and sprinting. The effects of beta-alanine supplementation on carnosine levels<\/a> and muscle strength<\/a> may be seen in four weeks.<\/p>\n Is Beta-alanine the Same as Creatine?<\/p>\n A COMMON MISCONCEPTION is that beta-alanine is just another version of creatine<\/a>. Since both involve amino acids, we understand the confusion.<\/p>\n Beta-alanine is an amino acid that is a building block of carnosine, while creatine is a molecule that is made up of three different amino acids. \u201cCreatine, like beta-alanine, is made in the body naturally and plays a role in keeping ATP levels (the body’s natural source of energy) consistent,\u201d says Pasquariello.<\/p>\n Another reason for the confusion is that a lot of research studying beta-alanine is in conjunction with creatine. Pasquariello says there\u2019s a lot of research suggesting that the two act in synergy to improve athletic performance<\/a> more than supplementing with beta-alanine or creatine alone.<\/p>\n Are There Any Potential Risks With Taking Beta-Alanine? <\/p>\n RESEARCH<\/a> ON BETA-ALANINE supplements finds it is typically safe when following recommended doses by the International Society of Sports Nutrition<\/a>. Problems start to come up when you\u2019re taking a single high dose. In that situation, the most common side effect is paresthesia, or tingling of the skin.<\/p>\n There was some concern<\/a> of beta-alanine supplements possibly lowering concentrations of taurine, a naturally occurring amino acid, most commonly found in the eyes, heart, brain, and muscles. (Taurine deficiency may cause diabetes, liver issues, muscle depletion, and eye damage). However, the consensus on whether taurine depletion is directly related to beta-alanine is mixed<\/a>.<\/p>\n Should You Take Beta-alanine Every Day?<\/p>\n TECHNICALLY, THE GENERAL population doesn\u2019t need to take beta-alanine supplements because you can get it all through food. For most carnivores, it\u2019s fairly straightforward.<\/p>\n \u201cAmong the top food sources of carnosine (and thus beta-alanine) are animal products, including beef<\/a>, chicken (and chicken broth), and fish (with the highest levels of beta-alanine found in mackerel, tuna, and salmon<\/a>),\u201d says Pasquariello. Smaller amounts of beta-alanine can be found in dairy and eggs.<\/p>\n The two cases where you may want to consider beta-alanine supplements are if you\u2019re a vegan\/vegetarian athlete or if your doctor recommends it. Pasquariello says people with this dietary restriction may not have enough beta-alanine in their usual diet. In that case, beta-alanine could be the extra boost they need to crush their next workout.<\/p>\n Perri is a New York City-born and -based writer; she holds a bachelor\u2019s in psychology from Columbia University and is also a culinary school graduate of the plant-based Natural Gourmet Institute, which is now the Natural Gourmet Center at the Institute of Culinary Education. Her work has appeared in the New York Post, Men’s Journal, Rolling Stone, Oprah Daily, Insider.com, Architectural Digest, Southern Living, and more. She’s probably seen Dave Matthews Band in your hometown, and she’ll never turn down a bloody mary. Learn more at VeganWhenSober.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"4 min read ANYONE WHO’S TRIED to bulk up knows building muscle takes time and effort. We\u2019re talking…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":919654,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[64,63,315166,3769,487681,430,433,137,308081,2387,532,267130,487680,366213],"class_list":["post-919653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-collection-supplements-a-to-z","tag-content-type-how-to-service","tag-contentid-6882d542-f7bd-45b9-8970-f9e748b40fb6","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-hasproduct-true","tag-health","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-us","tag-nutrition","tag-read_time-4","tag-shorttitle-does-beta-alanine-actually-build-muscle","tag-sponsored-false"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/919653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=919653"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/919653\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/919654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=919653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=919653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=919653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Headshot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bba99f41-f599-4411-be4a-d014d50f0701_1534360513.file.png\" "\\"Headshot")
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