Does Beta-Alanine Really Work?

Does Beta-Alanine Really Work?
Studies have consistently shown that beta-alanine increases strength, muscle-power output, training volume, high-intensity exercise performance, and aerobic capacity in a variety of sports.

Soccer players who ingested 3.2 grams of beta-alanine every day for 12 weeks increased their performance by 34.3 percent, compared to -7.6% in a group receiving placebo. Boxers who took 1.5 grams of beta-alanine four times a day increased the force of their punches by 20 times and the rate at which they threw punches by four times, compared to a placebo group.

Another study, this one involving competitive rowers, found that beta-alanine supplementation improved 2,000-meter rowing performance by 2.9 seconds, which is equivalent to at least a couple of scull lengths.

Even the military has found that there’s direct evidence supporting the use of beta-alanine to enhance combat-specific performance (even though they haven’t adopted its use, or for that matter, officially recommended any sports supplement).

And, since it’s a hybrid between GABA and L-glycine, two powerful neurotransmitters, plenty of scientists are also classifying beta-alanine as a secondary neurotransmitter, which is why users also benefit from its stimulatory effects.