100g of pure Beta Alanine powder - BodyBuilding - Muscle Mass - Protein

Beta Alanine is a relatively new supplement within the nutritional arena which has shown promising results in numerous studies. Many have compared Beta Alanine as the new Creatine of the Sports Supplement industry and it is fast becoming the choice of supplementaton for those looking to get increased strength and endurance from their efforts in the gym.

Beta-Alanine (BA) is the only naturally occurring beta amino acid. It is a non-essential amino acid found naturally in both the body and in foods such as chicken. Beta-alanine's performance enhancing effects are due to its ability to raise intra-muscular levels of carnosine. Research has shown that there is a strong relationship between carnosine concentrations in muscle and high intensity exercise performance.

Scientists have demonstrated that high intensity/high volume training significantly increases muscle carnosine concentrations in untrained subjects. However this rise in carnosine levels soon plateaus, after which, the only way to increase levels further is to supplement with BA (carnosine itself is poorly absorbed in humans). BA has been shown to raise muscle carnosine levels by 64% in as little as 4 weeks, and by 80% after 10 weeks. Carnosine is a naturally occurring di-peptide that is found in both type 1 and type 2 muscle fibers (but in significantly higher concentrations in type 2 fibers) and its primary function is to act as an intracellular buffer of hydrogen ions (H+). When we exercise, especially when it’s high intensity exercise, our bodies accumulate a large amount of hydrogen ions (H+), causing our muscles’ pH to drop (becoming more acidic).

This acidification of the blood causes fatigue, decreases muscular performance and reduces the magnitude of neural drive - forcing muscular failure. Moreover in a more acidic environment ATP is less effective and the release of calcium - a key component to muscle contraction - is hindered substantially. In addition to causing a drop in muscle pH, hydrogen ions also inhibit the PFK enzyme (reducing the body's capacity to produce energy from glucose), as well as interfering with the formation of the actin-myosin cross bridges (necessary for muscle contraction to occur). By maintaining higher levels of muscle carnosine through beta alanine supplementation, it is possible to delay the build up of H+ and the resultant detrimental effects this accumulation causes. Furthermore carnosine helps activate the enzymes responsible for generating muscle contractions (myofibrillar-ATPase). By generating this enzyme it appears that Carnosine prevents fatigue through yet another mechanism entirely.