Beta-Alanine
An amino acid that teams up with histidine in your muscles to buffer acid during intense exercise — the reason you feel that familiar tingle before a workout.
Benefits
- +Increases muscle carnosine levels, improving endurance
- +May extend time to exhaustion in high-intensity exercise
- +Can improve muscular endurance for repeated efforts
- +Well-supported by decades of sports science research
- +Particularly useful for activities lasting 1–4 minutes (sprints, HIIT)
Dosage & Cost
Loading is not necessary — consistent daily use is what builds carnosine. Takes 4–6 weeks to see full effects. SR (sustained release) forms reduce the tingle significantly.
Side Effects
- !Tingling or 'pins and needles' sensation (paresthesia) — harmless but annoying
- !The tingle is dose-dependent — spreading doses throughout the day helps
- !May cause mild nausea in some people
- !Not ideal if you have a sensitivity to sensory side effects
Food Sources
- • Poultry (chicken and turkey are the richest sources)
- • Pork
- • Fish
- • Beef
- • Found almost exclusively in animal muscle — vegans and vegetarians benefit most from supplementing
References & Links
Community
Popularity rankings
Stats accumulate as members log their stacks
Not in any public stacks yet.
Featured Videos
A Muscle Supplement worthy of Consideration... (that isn’t creatine)
Physionic
This LEGAL Supplement Increases Strength and Performance by 14% (and it’s cheap)
Thomas DeLauer
This page is for informational purposes only. The information here has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). No supplement discussed on this page is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional before taking any dietary supplement.