Beta-alanine is a popular supplement among athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

这是因为它已被证明可以提高性能并使整体健康受益。

This article explains everything you need to know about beta-alanine.

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid.

Unlike most氨基酸，您的身体不使用它来合成蛋白质。

Instead, together with histidine, it produces carnosine. Carnosine is then stored in your skeletal muscles ( 1 ).

Carnosine reduces lactic acid accumulation in your muscles during exercise, which leads to improved athletic performance ( 2 ，，，， 3 ).

Summary

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid. Your body uses it to produce carnosine, which helps improve exercise performance.

In your muscles, histidine levels are normally high and beta-alanine levels low, which limits the production of carnosine ( 1 ，，，， 4 ).

补充β-丙氨酸已显示可将肌肉中的肌肽水平升高80％（ 4 ，，，， 5 ，，，， 6 ，，，， 7 ，，，， 8 ).

这就是肌肽在运动过程中的作用：

  • 葡萄糖被分解：糖酵解是葡萄糖的分解，葡萄糖是高强度运动过程中燃料的主要来源。
  • Lactate is produced:像你一样exercise，，，，your muscles break glucose down into lactic acid. This is converted into lactate, which produces hydrogen ions (H+).
  • 肌肉变得更加酸性：氢离子降低肌肉中的pH值，使其更酸。
  • 疲劳设置为：肌肉酸度阻止葡萄糖崩溃并降低您的肌肉收缩能力。这会导致疲劳（ 8 ，，，， 9 ，，，， 10 ).
  • Carnosine buffer:Carnosine serves as a buffer against the acid, reducing the acidity in muscles during high-intensity exercise ( 8 ，，，， 11 ).

Since beta-alanine supplements increase carnosine levels, they help your muscles reduce their acid levels during exercise. This lessens overall fatigue.

Summary

Beta-alanine supplements increase carnosine, which reduces the acidity in your muscles during high-intensity exercise.

Beta-alanine improves athletic performance by reducing fatigue, increasing endurance and boosting performance in high-intensity exercises.

Increases Time to Exhaustion

研究表明,beta-alanine有助于增加你的time to exhaustion (TTE).

In other words, it helps you exercise for longer periods at a time. A study in cyclists found that four weeks of supplements increased total work completed by 13%, increasing an additional 3.2% after 10 weeks ( 3 ，，，， 5 ，，，， 8 ，，，， 12 ).

Similarly, 20 men on a comparable cycling test increased their time to exhaustion by 13–14% after four weeks of beta-alanine supplements ( 13 ).

利益较短的练习

通常，肌肉酸中毒限制了高强度运动的持续时间。

For this reason, beta-alanine specifically helps performance during high-intensity and short-duration exercise lasting one to several minutes.

One study revealed that six weeks of taking beta-alanine increased TTE by 19% during高强度间隔训练（（HIIT) ( 14 ).

在另一项研究中,18赛艇选手补充even weeks were 4.3 seconds faster than the placebo group in a 2,000-meter race lasting over 6 minutes ( 15 ).

其他福利

对于老年人，β-丙氨酸可以帮助增加肌肉耐力（ 16 ).

在阻力训练中，它可以增加训练量并减轻疲劳。但是，没有一致的证据表明β-丙氨酸可以提高力量（ 17 ，，，， 18 ，，，， 19 ，，，， 20 ).

Summary

β-丙氨酸在持续一到几分钟的运动中最有效。它可以帮助减轻疲劳，同时增加运动能力和肌肉耐力。

Some evidence suggests that beta-alanine may benefit body composition.

一项研究表明，补充三周增加了瘦肌肉质量（ 21 ).

It’s possible that beta-alanine improves身体构成通过增加训练量并促进肌肉生长。

However, some studies show no significant differences in body composition and body weight after treatment ( 20 ，，，， 22 ).

Summary

Beta-alanine can help increase exercise volume. This could lead to increases in lean body mass — although the evidence is mixed.

β-丙氨酸可以提高肌肽水平，这可能有几种健康益处。

有趣的是，动物和试管研究表明肉豆蔻素具有抗氧化剂，抗衰老和免疫增强特性。但是，需要人类研究。

The antioxidant benefits of carnosine include neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress ( 23 ，，，， 24 ，，，， 25 ).

此外，试管研究表明肌肽升高nitric oxide生产。这可能有助于与衰老过程作斗争并改善heart health（（ 26 ).

最后，肉豆菌可能会提高老年人肌肉的质量和功能（ 16 ，，，， 27 ).

Summary

肌氨酸具有抗氧化剂和免疫增强特性。它还使老年人的肌肉功能受益。

β-丙氨酸的最高食物是肉，家禽和鱼。

它是较大化合物的一部分，主要是肌肽和anserine，但在消化时会断裂。

素食主义者和素食主义者have about 50% less carnosine in their muscles compared to omnivores (28).

尽管大多数人可以从饮食中获得足够数量的β-丙氨酸，但补充剂进一步提高了水平。

Summary

Beta-alanine can be obtained from carnosine-rich foods, such as meat, poultry and fish.

The standard dosage of beta-alanine is 2–5 grams daily ( 29 ).

Consuming beta-alanine with a meal can further increase carnosine levels ( 30 ).

Beta-alanine supplements seem to be better at replenishing muscle carnosine levels than taking carnosine itself ( 31 ).

Summary

通常建议每天消耗2-5克β-丙氨酸。用餐可能更有效。

Taking excessive amounts of beta-alanine may cause paraesthesia, an unusual sensation typically described as “tingling of the skin.” It’s usually experienced in the face, neck and back of the hands.

这种刺痛的强度随剂量大小而增加。可以通过服用小剂量来避免 - 一次约800毫克（ 3 ).

没有证据表明心语以任何方式有害（ 32 ).

另一个可能的副作用是下降taurinelevels. This is because beta-alanine can compete against taurine for absorption in your muscles.

Summary

副作用包括牛磺酸的刺痛和减少。数据有限，但是β-丙氨酸对于健康的个体来说似乎是安全的。

β-丙氨酸通常与其他补充剂结合，包括碳酸氢钠和肌酸。

Sodium Bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate，，，，or baking soda, enhances exercise performance by reducing acid in your blood and muscles ( 3 ).

Many studies have examined beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate in combination.

The results suggest some benefits from combining the two supplements — especially during exercises in which muscle acidosis inhibits performance ( 33 ，，，， 34 ).

肌酸

肌酸helps high-intensityexercise performance通过增加ATP的可用性。

一起使用时，已证明肌酸和β-丙氨酸可以使运动表现受益力量和瘦肌肉（ 35 ，，，，36，，，， 37 ).

Summary

Beta-alanine may be even more effective when combined with supplements like sodium bicarbonate or creatine.

Beta-alanine enhances performance by increasing exercise capacity and decreasing muscle fatigue.

It also has抗氧化剂，免疫增强和anti-agingproperties.

You can get beta-alanine from foods that contain carnosine or through supplements. The recommended dose is 2–5 grams daily.

Although excessive amounts may cause tingling in the skin, beta-alanine is considered to be a safe and effective supplement to boost exercise performance.