Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels -
Similarly Stuerenburg and Kunze reported a significant age-related reduction in skeletal muscle carnosine. These dissonant findings may be explained, at least in part by dietary differences, as the Korean population studied by Kim is described as eating a typical Korean diet including chicken, pork and beef meat, as well as fish.
Changing dietary patterns in the elderly due to loss of appetite will reduce beta-alanine intake from the ingestion of histidine containing dipeptides carnosine, anserine and balenine.
Even where dietary intake of protein may be adequate, dietary levels of beta-alanine may fall. Declining levels of carnosine in muscle may also occur with preferential loss of type II muscle fibres with age, or with a reduction in cross sectional area of type II muscle fibres, since in humans these have up to two times the level of carnosine compared to type I Harris et al.
In such circumstances beta-alanine supplementation could be beneficial in maintaining or even elevating muscle carnosine levels with possible improvements in physical exercise capacity and life quality.
In the present study the mean increase of Hill et al. In the present study a proprietary sustained-release tablet formulation was used, which for the same dose results in a lower and later peak plasma concentration and reduced urinary loss, but generates the same area-under-the-plasma-concentration curve Stellingwerff et al.
By slowing the rate of beta-alanine release, less is excreted in urine with a greater percentage retained for carnosine synthesis in muscle. Importantly in the present study changes in TLIM and TTE were positively correlated to the changes in muscle carnosine. Similar correlations have been shown in younger subjects with improved performances in cycling Hill et al.
Although Stout et al. In the context of the elderly, those still active in such activities as cycling, skating, mountain climbing, even gardening, as examples of strenuous leisure activities involving bouts of intense isometric and dynamic exercise, are likely to gain both immediate benefits from an increase in muscle carnosine, as well as long-term benefits if the current high level of activity can be extended into more senior years.
Whether much less active older people are able to derive a similar level of benefit remains to be shown but many simple tasks, for instance stair climbing, which in earlier years might have been accomplished by aerobic exercise, invoke increasing levels of anaerobic effort as muscle mass progressively declines.
Although these have previously been validated to measure improvements in daily-life activities Podsiadlo and Richardson , Newcomer et al. The lack of changes in the quality of life may be due to the fact that subjects were healthy and functional at baseline.
A future goal, therefore, should be to study the effects of beta-alanine supplementation in patients who are less active and demonstrate a greater degree of sarcopenia and frailty, and poor quality of life. Moderating the rate of decline would help maintain active participation in leisure activities and independence.
Regular exercise involving some form of resistance training is considered the most effective treatment in slowing the progression of sarcopenia Snijders et al.
We suggest that beta-alanine supplementation by increasing the capacity for resistance exercise and lessening the fatigue burden associated with this, whether performed as part of a prescriptive training programme, in the course of leisure, or simply as part of normal everyday activities, will encourage prolongation of an active life style in elderly people.
This assumption needs to be tested in future studies. In conclusion the present study indicates that beta-alanine supplementation is effective in increasing the muscle carnosine content in the elderly 60—80 years with improvements in physical exercise capacity.
Benefits in maintaining a high muscle carnosine content may be both immediate and long-term, if this encourages subjects to maintain a more active life. Beta-alanine supplementation possibly represents one of the few evidenced-based dietary interventions which may help delay the decline in muscle function with ageing.
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Biogerontology 8 2 — tingling , and have not been effective for performance outcomes likely due to strong paraesthesia, rapid changes in pH, higher excretion rates, and inability to effectively load the muscle contents.
Combining beta-alanine consumption with a meal during beta-alanine loading has also been shown to be effective for further augmenting muscle carnosine levels [ 41 ].
In addition, a recent meta-analysis [ 42 ] suggested that supplementation with a total ingestion of g of beta-alanine the average dose across all studies resulted in a median performance improvement of 2.
Washout time, or time required for values to return to baseline, may vary between non-responders and responders, requiring 6 to 15 weeks to return to normal [ 4 ].
Despite these findings, the maximal concentration or retention of carnosine in human muscle is not well known; thus, we cannot yet provide information on the optimal loading or maintenance doses.
A loading phase ~4 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation is essential for increasing carnosine levels. Paraesthesia i. It appears that the symptoms of paraesthesia are substantially reduced with the use of sustained-release formulations. In studies using the non-sustained release supplement, paraesthesia has generally been reported to disappear within 60 to 90 min following supplementation [ 40 ].
It is hypothesized that beta-alanine activates Mas-related genes Mrg [ 43 ], or sensory neuron specific G-protein coupled receptors. Specifically, MrgD, which is expressed in the dorsal root ganglion, terminates in the skin [ 44 ]. It is likely that activation of MrgD from beta-alanine results in paraesthesia on the skin.
To date, there is no evidence to support that this tingling is harmful in any way. The paraesthesia side effect is typically experienced in the face, neck, and back of hands.
Although not all individuals will experience paraesthesia, it is typically dose-dependent, with higher doses resulting in greater side effects.
Recent data also suggests that males of Asian descent may experience a reduced effect, with Asian females experiencing greater paraesthesia [ 45 ]. Moreover, there is no known mechanism to explain why certain individuals may be predisposed to experiencing paraesthesia.
Currently, there is no safety data on the long-term use of beta-alanine i. However, due to the non-essential nature of this constituent i.
A secondary effect of beta-alanine supplementation is a potential decrease in taurine concentrations. Beta-alanine and taurine share the same transporter Tau-T into skeletal muscle, with beta-alanine thereby inhibiting taurine uptake within the muscle [ 46 ].
Interestingly, Harris et al. While taurine has a number of essential physiological functions, to date there is no human data to support decreases with beta-alanine supplementation. Additionally, when extrapolated to humans, the decrease in taurine would not be of physiological significance.
Current, although limited information, suggests that beta-alanine is safe in healthy individuals at recommended doses. To gain a better consensus of published findings, this review includes an analysis of the relative effects RE of literature obtained from PubMed and Google Scholar databases.
The primary search terms included beta-alanine AND supplementation AND carnosine AND exercise. The search was limited to articles published as of March and written in English. To construct figures, literature with similar outcome variables was reviewed to identify studies evaluating the effects of beta-alanine supplementation for a open-ended exercise tasks, such as time to exhaustion TTE , b fixed end-point exercise such as time trials, or c indices of neuromuscular fatigue.
To graphically depict the RE of beta-alanine in in comparison to placebo, RE was calculated using the following equation [ 48 , 49 ]:.
Where Pre PL is the pre-test value in the placebo group, Post PL is the post-test value in the placebo group, Pre BA is the pre-test value in the beta-alanine group, and Post BA is the post-test value in the beta-alanine group.
For Figures 1 and 3 , an RE greater than represents an increase or improvement in performance versus a placebo group. In Fig. The relative effects of beta-alanine supplementation on time to exhaustion TTE lasting A 0— s 0—6 min and B lasting — s 8—25 min.
For time to exhaustion and neuromuscular fatigue Figs. Relative effects of beta-alanine on neuromuscular fatigue i. For time trial or fixed end-point data Fig. It has been suggested that chronic beta-alanine supplementation improves high-intensity exercise performance by increasing muscle carnosine content, thereby enhancing intracellular proton buffering [ 50 , 51 ].
Excess protons are also buffered independently of carnosine by a number of physicochemical buffering constituents; extracellular bicarbonate is the most relevant for increasing muscle buffering capacity [ 52 ], thereby acting to maintain intramuscular pH.
A collective view of the literature on anaerobic 0—4 min and aerobic performance, neuromuscular fatigue, strength, and tactical challenges has been included. The primary physiological mechanism associated with beta-alanine supplementation is most likely related to enhancing intracellular buffering capacity, consequently it has been hypothesized that beta-alanine supplementation would have ergogenic potential for activities that are primarily reliant on anaerobic metabolism.
A meta-analysis on beta-alanine supplementation [ 42 ] indicated that supplementation improved exercise capacity in tasks lasting 60 to s, but not in tasks lasting under 60 s in which acidosis is not likely the primary limiting factor.
Additionally, literature evaluating repeated short-duration sprint tasks do not seem to demonstrate an effect: Sweeney et al. The effects of beta-alanine supplementation on time to exhaustion TTE are presented in Fig.
Similar to the results of Hobson et al. For example, Hill et al. In a critical velocity test, Smith-Ryan et al. It should be noted that results are not entirely consistent, as relative effects below are seen for anaerobic exercise tests between 1 to 4 min, as reported in Fig.
According to data from Jagim et al. Further, data from Smith-Ryan et al. In a recent meta-analysis, Hobson et al. Relative effects for fixed-endpoint performance are displayed in Fig.
In agreement with Hobson et al. Nonetheless, the three largest relative effects were observed in exercise bouts lasting Taken together, research currently suggests that beta-alanine has the greatest potential to improve performance in high-intensity exercise lasting over 60 s, with more pronounced effects observed in open end-point exercise tasks taken to volitional exhaustion.
Beta-alanine generally enhances high intensity exercise lasting over 60 s, with greater effects on open end point exercise bouts, such as time to exhaustion tasks.
For exercise bouts lasting greater than four minutes, ATP demand is increasingly met via aerobic metabolic pathways. As such, it has been suggested that beta-alanine is not beneficial for exercise bouts lasting over 4 min.
To the contrary, however, Hobson et al. Research has demonstrated a modest benefit of beta-alanine supplementation on TTE in exercise tests over 4 min in duration Fig. In conjunction with 6 weeks of interval training, Smith et al.
Participants consuming a placebo improved TTE from Similarly, Stout et al. In aerobic, open end-point exercise, beta-alanine appears to result in modest improvements that, nonetheless, could be meaningful in competitive athletics, such as running, cycling, etc.
Benefits have also been reported using fixed end-point exercise bouts lasting over 4 min Fig. Similarly, Ducker et al. Currently, limited research is available for exercise over 25 min in duration. In a graded exercise test, Van Thienen et al.
Although the beta-alanine group did improve TTE from Chung et al. Although beta-alanine supplementation substantially increased muscle carnosine concentrations, both the beta-alanine and placebo groups saw performance decrements following six weeks of supplementation [ 70 ]. Overall, available research indicates that beta-alanine provides a modest benefit for exercise lasting up to approximately 25 min in duration.
To date, research beyond this time frame is limited and does not demonstrate a consistent positive effect. Beta-alanine may improve exercise duration during tasks requiring a greater contribution from aerobic energy pathways.
The physical working capacity at fatigue threshold PWC FT indicates the highest cycling power output that results in a non-significant increase in vastus lateralis muscle activation.
This measurement is a validated and reliable method of determining the power output at which the onset of neuromuscular fatigue occurs [ 71 ], and has been used to determine the effects of beta-alanine supplementation on neuromuscular fatigue.
In , Stout et al. Similar results were reported in female participants the following year During 6 weeks of high-intensity interval training, Smith et al.
Despite marked improvements, the relative effect calculated was below , as the group consuming a placebo improved by Using slightly different methodology to quantify neuromuscular fatigue, Smith-Ryan et al.
The effects of beta-alanine on neuromuscular fatigue appear to be more pronounced in longer studies utilizing older subjects.
Collectively, the evidence suggests that beta-alanine supplementation attenuates neuromuscular fatigue, particularly in older subjects. Improvements in fatigue threshold may be augmented with concurrent participation in high-intensity interval training.
Studies investigating the effects of beta-alanine on strength outcomes have reported mixed findings. While short-term 30 days studies by Hoffman et al. In a similar length study 4 weeks , Derave et al. In contrast, Sale et al. It has been hypothesized that the documented improvements in training volume and fatigue may translate to meaningful changes over prolonged interventions.
Despite improvements from baseline testing, Kern and Robinson [ 66 ] did not show eight weeks of beta-alanine supplementation to significantly improve flexed arm hang performance in wrestlers or football players compared to placebo. In a week intervention, Kendrick et al.
Finally, Hoffman et al. Collectively, the evidence suggests that beta-alanine may improve indices of training volume and fatigue for resistance exercise, but more long-term studies are needed to clarify potential effects on strength and body composition compared to placebo.
Beta-alanine appears to increase training volume, however, current research does not indicate an additive benefit on strength gains during resistance training. The training and duties of military personnel and other tactical athletes often consist of prolonged and rigorous exercise, resulting in reductions in physical and cognitive performance [ 77 ].
Beta-alanine supplementation may be advantageous in this population, potentially attenuating fatigue, enhancing neuromuscular performance, and reducing oxidative stress. In , an expert panel published a review regarding the use of beta-alanine in military personnel [ 78 ].
The panel concluded that there was insufficient evidence to recommend the use of beta-alanine by military personnel [ 78 ]. More recently, the use of beta-alanine in tactical personnel was directly investigated by Hoffman et al.
Soldiers involved in military training supplemented with either beta-alanine or placebo for 28 days, with researchers testing a number of outcomes pertaining to physical and cognitive performance. While cognitive performance was not affected, beta-alanine resulted in moderate improvements in peak power, marksmanship, and target engagement speed, compared to placebo [ 77 ].
A subsequent study by Hoffman et al. Recently, it was reported that beta-alanine had no significant effect on brain carnosine or cognitive function in non-tactical athletes [ 80 ]. While evidence in this population is scarce, it would appear that beta-alanine supplementation yields promising results for tasks relevant to tactical personnel.
More research is needed to determine which tasks are consistently improved with supplementation. The combined effects of beta-alanine with other ergogenic aids, such as sodium bicarbonate, creatine, and multi-ingredient pre-workout formulas, have gained popularity.
Due to the potential positive effects of beta-alanine during high-intensity exercise, it has been hypothesized that combining it with other ergogenic aids may further augment performance and proton buffering.
Sodium bicarbonate SB supplementation has been shown to acutely increase bicarbonate levels, blood pH, and high-intensity exercise performance [ 81 ], prompting interest in combined supplementation with beta-alanine. Sale et al. Tobias et al. Despite non-significant differences between groups, authors of other studies have calculated the probability of an additive effect with combined beta-alanine and SB supplementation.
In a 2,m rowing time trial, Hobson et al. In swimmers, de Salles Painelli et al. In contrast to these studies, other findings do not suggest a synergistic effect between beta-alanine and SB.
In a series of two repeated m sprints in swimmers, Mero et al. Ducker et al. Results demonstrated that SB supplementation improved performance more than placebo, beta-alanine, or a combination of beta-alanine and SB.
Saunders et al. Results indicated that neither beta-alanine, SB, nor beta-alanine plus SB improved performance on the sprint test. Bellinger et al. It is also important to note that the protocols employed by Ducker et al.
Collectively, the body of literature suggests a modest additive effect when adding SB to beta-alanine supplementation in exercise bouts in which metabolic acidosis may be performance-limiting.
While this additive benefit is not typically revealed with traditional statistical analyses, studies using magnitude-based inferences have suggested that a modest additive effect is likely to exist [ 62 , 65 , 68 ]. The studies reviewed have used supplement dosages ranging from 4.
However, the only study to indicate a statistically significant synergistic effect of beta-alanine and SB [ 82 ] employed a unique dosing protocol for SB, providing daily doses of 0. Individual responses to SB supplementation may vary, likely due to side effects including headache and gastrointestinal discomfort [ 68 , 85 , 87 ].
In terms of practical application, those wishing to combine beta-alanine and SB supplementation must carefully evaluate the dosage and timing with which SB is consumed and weigh the modest additive benefit against the risk of potentially ergolytic side effects. Given the proton-buffering capacity of muscle carnosine [ 51 ], beta-alanine is most commonly purported to improve performance in exercise of high enough intensity to induce intramuscular acidosis.
Creatine supplementation has been consistently shown to improve high-intensity exercise performance, primarily by increasing phosphorylcreatine and adenosine triphosphate ATP availability [ 88 ]. The first study investigating co-ingestion of these ingredients was reported in a published abstract by Harris et al.
Similarly, Hoffman et al. Notably, these studies did not include a treatment arm ingesting beta-alanine alone. Zoeller et al. Stout et al. Kresta et al. The creatine group trended toward an increase in VO 2 max, while the beta-alanine group trended toward an improvement in rate of fatigue on a series of two Wingate tests.
However, no significant effects on performance were noted for any treatment arm, and results did not suggest a synergistic effect between creatine and beta-alanine.
Two studies have shown additive ergogenic effects when beta-alanine is combined with creatine supplementation [ 76 , 89 ], but did not include a treatment group ingesting beta-alanine only. Other studies including a beta-alanine treatment arm have not demonstrated a synergistic effect between beta-alanine and creatine [ 71 , 90 ].
Despite promising findings from initial studies [ 76 , 89 ], more research is needed to evaluate potential synergy between creatine and beta-alanine supplementation. Multi-ingredient pre- and post-workout supplements have become increasingly popular, with formulations that include a number of purportedly ergogenic ingredients including creatine, caffeine, branched-chain amino acids, whey protein, nitric oxide precursors, and other isolated amino acids [ 91 — 98 ].
Such supplements are typically consumed once per day prior to training, with beta-alanine doses generally ranging from 2 to 4 g single boluses. When ingested acutely before exercise, previous studies have shown these multi-ingredient supplements to improve muscular endurance [ 92 , 98 ], running time to exhaustion [ 91 ], and power output [ 98 ].
Some studies have documented improvements in subjective feelings of energy and focus [ 91 , 92 ], while Gonzalez et al. When taken chronically for a period of 4 to 8 weeks, multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements have been shown to increase measures of strength [ 93 , 94 , 97 ], power output [ 96 ], and lean mass [ 93 — 95 ].
In contrast, Outlaw et al. These discrepant findings may be attributed to the short duration of supplementation 8 days , or the substantial improvements in lean mass, strength, and peak power output displayed by the placebo group.
Overall, the body of literature suggests that acute and chronic ingestion of multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements can contribute to improvements in performance and body composition.
It is difficult to attribute these ergogenic effects directly to beta-alanine, as multi-ingredient supplements include a wide range of ergogenic ingredients that may improve performance independently e.
It typically takes a number of weeks at least 2 weeks for beta-alanine supplementation to yield meaningful increases in muscle carnosine content [ 3 , 19 ]. As such, it is unlikely that beta-alanine is the primary ingredient improving performance outcomes in studies utilizing acute, one-time supplementation.
In studies extending over 4 to 8 weeks, the likelihood of beta-alanine contributing to improvements in performance and indirect effects on body composition is greater. While it is difficult to determine the relative contributions of individual ingredients, research has demonstrated that multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements containing 2 to 4 g of beta-alanine are safe and efficacious when taken acutely, or chronically for up to 8 weeks.
Co-ingestion of beta-alanine with sodium bicarbonate or creatine have modest additive ergogenic benefits; ingestion of beta-alanine as part of a multi-ingredient pre-workout product may be effective, if the supplementation period is sufficient to increase carnosine levels and the product is taken for at least 4 weeks.
Decades of literature support a potential for carnosine to influence some mechanisms related to health including antioxidant properties, anti-aging, immune enhancing, and neurotransmitter actions. However, the majority of these health benefits have been explored in vitro and in animal models.
Carnosine is widely considered an important anti-glycating agent that serves to prevent reactions that threaten to impact the structure and function of proteins in the body. Advanced glycation end products are associated with the aging process and diabetic complications, but carnosine is thought to reduce the formation of these end products [ , ].
Carnosine is also known to be an antioxidant that is capable of preventing the accumulation of oxidized products derived from lipid components of biological membranes [ , ]. The antioxidant mechanism of carnosine has been postulated to be due to metal chelation or free radical scavenging [ ].
The combination of histidine-containing compounds, such as carnosine, at near physiological concentrations, have resulted in synergistic antioxidant activity [ 37 ]. Minimal data in humans exists regarding the potential antioxidant effect of increasing muscle carnosine vis-a-vis beta-alanine.
Initial research suggests that beta-alanine may effectively reduce lipid peroxidation and mitigate accumulation of free radicals when combined with aerobic exercise in men and women [ , ]. Future research evaluating potential anti-aging effects and the impact of potential antioxidant properties in humans would be important to explore, especially due to the positive effects beta-alanine has shown in older populations [ 24 , 73 ].
Interestingly, humans also have carnosine within the brain, eye, and heart tissue [ 37 , ]. Therefore some initial data has explored the neuronal effects of carnosine [ 80 , ], as well as potential effects on cardiac tissue and heart rate [ 60 ].
Future research exploring the effects of beta-alanine to induce changes in carnosine concentrations in these tissues would be beneficial, as well as explorations of potential physiological effects in humans.
An additional potential function of carnosine has been linked to improvements in calcium sensitivity in muscle fibers [ , ]. As a result of improved calcium sensitivity, there may be a direct impact on muscular performance. This mechanism has not yet been fully explored in humans. One recent paper by Hannah et al.
Future studies should further explore this mechanism. Lastly, there is a need for long-term safety data on beta-alanine supplementation as well as more information on potential benefits in special populations such as elderly and tactical athletes. Four weeks of beta-alanine supplementation 4—6 g daily significantly augments muscle carnosine concentrations, thereby acting as an intracellular pH buffer.
Beta-alanine supplementation currently appears to be safe in healthy populations at recommended doses. The only reported side effect is paraesthesia i. Beta-alanine attenuates neuromuscular fatigue, particularly in older subjects, and preliminary evidence indicates that beta-alanine may improve tactical performance.
Combining beta-alanine with other single or multi-ingredient supplements may be advantageous when the dose of beta-alanine is sufficient i. More research is needed to determine the effects of beta-alanine on strength, endurance performance beyond 25 min in duration, and other health-related benefits associated with carnosine.
Harris RC, Tallon MJ, Dunnett M, Boobis L, Coakley J, Kim HJ, et al. The absorption of orally supplied beta-alanine and its effect on muscle carnosine synthesis in human vastus lateralis. Amino Acids. doi: Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar. Dunnett M, Harris RC. Influence of oral beta-alanine and L-histidine supplementation on the carnosine content of the gluteus medius.
Equine Vet J Suppl. PubMed Google Scholar. Hill CA, Harris RC, Kim HJ, Harris BD, Sale C, Boobis LH, et al.
Influence of beta-alanine supplementation on skeletal muscle carnosine concentrations and high intensity cycling capacity. Baguet A, Reyngoudt H, Pottier A, Everaert I, Callens S, Achten E, et al. Carnosine loading and washout in human skeletal muscles.
J Appl Physiol. Harris RC, Jones G, Hill CH, Kendrick IP, Boobis L, Kim CK, et al. The carnosine content of vastus lateralis in vegetarians and omnivores. FASEB J. Article CAS Google Scholar. Tallon MJ, Harris RC, Boobis LH, Fallowfield JL, Wise JA.
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A new method for non-invasive estimation of human muscle fiber type composition. PLoS One. Article PubMed Central CAS PubMed Google Scholar. Kendrick IP, Harris RC, Kim HJ, Kim CK, Dang VH, Lam TQ, et al. The effects of 10 weeks of resistance training combined with beta-alanine supplementation on whole body strength, force production, muscular endurance and body composition.
Kendrick IP, Kim HJ, Harris RC, Kim CK, Dang VH, Lam TQ, et al. The effect of 4 weeks beta-alanine supplementation and isokinetic training on carnosine concentrations in type I and II human skeletal muscle fibres.
Eur J Appl Physiol. Mannion AF, Jakeman PM, Willan PL. Effects of isokinetic training of the knee extensors on high-intensity exercise performance and skeletal muscle buffering. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol.
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Carnosine and anserine concentrations in the quadriceps femoris muscle of healthy humans. Abe H. Role of histidine-related compounds as intracellular proton buffering constituents in vertebrate muscle.
Biochemistry Mosc. The highlights of this report are as follows:. Carnosine can act as a buffer in muscle, thereby lessening the effects of excess acidity resulting from high-intensity exercise. This effect can improve high-intensity exercise performance but is unlikely to have much effect on endurance exercise.
Other beneficial effects have been proposed although not proven. Carnosine supplementation is ineffective in increasing the amount of carnosine in muscle because it is broken down to its constituent amino acids before tissue uptake can occur. Beta-alanine is not known to have any direct physiological role but is the rate-limiting factor for carnosine synthesis.
Studies have shown that beta-alanine supplementation can increase muscle carnosine content, and therefore, the buffering capacity of your muscles.
This can result in significant improvements to physical performance as well as body composition. If you're seeking to benefit from increased concentrations of carnosine, supplementing with carnosine itself is not the best way to achieve that goal.
Instead, you'll see far more profound effects from beta-alanine supplementation. If you are one of the millions of people that experience digestive distress, acid reflux, heartburn, or GERD , and you are considering adding digestive plant enzymes to your diet, you'll want to read this article.
Blog Nutrition. By: by Amino Science. Posted on: November 24, What Science Tells Us About Carnosine Found in abundance in meat, poultry, and fish , carnosine sometimes referred to as L-carnosine is a dipeptide composed of two amino acids, beta-alanine and L-histidine, hooked together.
Research-Backed Benefits of Beta-Alanine The primary focus of research conducted to date on beta-alanine supplementation has been the effect of beta-alanine on physical performance and body composition.
The Pros and Cons of Carnosine Supplements Carnosine supplements are available from a variety of sources and marketed as being able to slow the aging process and help prevent and treat complications of diabetes. Why Most People Benefit More from Beta-Alanine Supplements The production of carnosine in muscle is limited by the availability of beta-alanine.
The highlights of this report are as follows: Four weeks of consuming grams of beta-alanine daily significantly increases muscle carnosine levels.
Beta-alanine supplements appear to be safe. Tingling is the only reported side effect. Daily supplementation with grams of beta-alanine improves high-intensity exercise performance in events lasting minutes.
Daily supplementation with beta-alanine may reduce the impact of neuromuscular fatigue in older subjects. Combining beta-alanine supplements with other supplements such as essential amino acids may be beneficial. Carnosine Supplementation vs.
Beta Alanine Supplementation: The Bottom Line Carnosine can act as a buffer in muscle, thereby lessening the effects of excess acidity resulting from high-intensity exercise.
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Carnosine is Herbal medicine for skin conditions abundant histidine-containing dipeptide in human skeletal muscle and formed by beta-alanine and Ahd. It performs various physiological roles during exercise and has attracted strong interest in recent Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels Betq-alanine numerous musclw focused catnosine increasing its intramuscular leveos to Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels its potential ergogenic musscle. Oral Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels anv increases muscle carnosine Beha-alanine although large Refreshment Subscriptions in response to supplementation exists and the amount of ingested beta-alanine converted into muscle carnosine appears to be low. Understanding of carnosine and beta-alanine metabolism and the factors that influence muscle carnosine synthesis with supplementation may provide insight into how beta-alanine supplementation may be optimized. Herein we discuss modifiable factors that may further enhance the increase of muscle carnosine in response to beta-alanine supplementation including, i dose; ii duration; iii beta-alanine formulation; iv dietary influences; v exercise; and vi co-supplementation with other substances. The aim of this narrative review is to outline the processes involved in muscle carnosine metabolism, discuss theoretical and mechanistic modifiable factors which may optimize the muscle carnosine response to beta-alanine supplementation and to make recommendations to guide future research. Carnosine is a histidine-containing dipeptide formed by beta-alanine BA and L-histidine that is abundant in human skeletal muscle 1.The aim of levelw study was carnozine investigate the Beta-alanien of beta-alanine muuscle on exercise capacity and the muscle Betaalanine content in elderly subjects. The BA group Astaxanthin and eye floaters 3.
The PL group received 2 × 2 × mg of a matched placebo. At baseline PRE and after Beta-zlanine weeks POST of supplementation, assessments were made of the muscle carnosine ahd, anaerobic exercise capacity, muscle function, quality of life, physical Bloating reduction diet and food myscle.
The time-to-exhaustion in the constant-load carnosune test i. In summary, the current data indicate for the first time, that beta-alanine supplementation is levsls in mjscle the muscle Citrus essential oil content in healthy anv subjects, with subsequent musc,e in Hydrate with blissful satisfaction exercise capacity.
Taylor Furst, Alyssa Massaro, … Peter Leveos. Bryan Beta-alaine, Mariana Carnosije, … Cwrnosine Gualano. Jessica Danaher, Tracey Gerber, … Christos G. Ageing Beta-alanije associated with both lefels loss of skeletal muscle mass and andd muscle cqrnosine leading to Beat-alanine degrees of sarcopenia Beya-alanine defined by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People EWGSOP Cruz-Jentoft et al.
Changes include a Beeta-alanine in the cross sectional area of type Lefels muscle fibres Verdijk et musscle. Ageing is also associated muzcle a significant reduction in skeletal muscle carnosine Stuerenburg and Kunze Brta-alanine Tallon levwls al. As a result elderly subjects may experience a decrease in Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels capacity to undertake carnoosine activity where carnoslne is limited by intramuscular cell pH carnoosine Stout Nutrition for chronic disease prevention al.
Combined Bet-alanine the Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels carhosine muscle mass, progressive changes in muscle function will contribute to an increased sense of frailty in elderly Age-reversing strategies and women with impairments in carjosine, gait Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels, and an nuscle risk of falls Madureira et al.
With the increase in carnoisne of industrialized populations, Bea-alanine is Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels carnosjne a leevls health and financial carnosinee at the national level. Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels exercise, incorporating some Beta-alanihe of Beta-alaninw training, is considered Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels of the most Betta-alanine measures to slow, and even reverse the progression carnosind sarcopenia Annd et al.
Carnosine is a dipeptide synthesized in Betq-alanine and other Bega-alanine involved in intracellular juscle and is composed of the two amino acids histidine and beta-alanine Artioli et al. The availability of the Glycogen replenishment formula limiting to the Beta-alanie vivo synthesis Beta-xlanine carnosine under Plant-based compounds physiological conditions Musclr et al.
Improving the buffering capacity of muscle could be important carnossine muscle function and Bfta-alanine activities in the cadnosine. A previous Hypoglycemia triggers to avoid Stout et Beta-alaninee.
The authors suggested that the increase in lfvels capacity could have importance in the prevention of falls, and the maintenance leveps health and independent living of elderly men and women. Legels, the authors did not assess muscle carnosine content, Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels.
In Beta-alainne, to the best of our knowledge, no study has Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels investigated the effect of beta-alanine supplementation on carnosihe muscle carnosine levles in elderly individuals. It remains to Autophagy and autophagy-related diseases seen if cranosine muscle increases in carnosine can be achieved to a similar extent as has been reported in younger subjects, and b if Creatine and recovery between sets such Bfta-alanine can be correlated with changes in exercise Optimize exercise agility. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of beta-alanine supplementation on exercise performance capacity and lfvels muscle carnosine content in elderly subjects.
It Beta-alanin hypothesized that beta-alanine supplementation would increase Body density monitoring muscle carnosine content Nutritional supplement for weight loss the elderly, ccarnosine would be paralleled by an increase in exercise capacity.
Eighteen subjects 60—80 years who had not engaged in any exercise Energy balance and weight loss for at least 1 year were recruited to the study. Exclusion criteria were assessed andd a physician and were ane follows: joint ad Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels BBeta-alanine causes of limited mobility that would prevent the subject undertaking the exercise tests, cardiovascular Hyperglycemia and regular health check-ups which had not carnoslne treated, the levrls of nutritional supplements within the past 6 months e.
Volunteers were instructed Beat-alanine refrain from any exercise-training programme during the course of the musfle. The Local Ethical Ajd approved the carbosine and all subjects gave their consent in writing after the purpose of the study and the risks involved had been explained.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted between October and May in Sao Paulo Brazil. An unbalanced design was adopted a priori to reduce the cost of the trial and to gain more experience in using beta-alanine supplementation in elderly subjects. The PL group received 2 × 2 × mg placebo made up of maltodextrin, which was identical in appearance.
The supplements were obtained from Natural Alternatives International, San Marcos, USA. A researcher called the subjects on daily basis to verify the compliance to supplementation intake.
Muscle carnosine, anaerobic exercise capacity, muscle function and quality of life were assessed at baseline PRE and after 12 weeks POST of supplementation. All of the subjects underwent one familiarization session prior to the muscle function tests.
Food intake was assessed at baseline and after the intervention and physical activity levels were assessed only at baseline. The closer monitoring of physical activity patterns and diet was not possible and it is a limitation of this study. All the subjects were physically inactive as assessed by the international physical activity questionnaire—IPAQ Voorrips et al.
To characterize the sample, measurements of body composition were also assessed at PRE and POST by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry DXA, Hologic QDRDiscovery model Bedford, MA, USA.
Muscle carnosine content was assessed in vivo by 1H-MRS using a whole body 3. In brief, the calf muscle of the left leg was centred within the knee coil fixed with pads to avoid leg motion during acquisition.
Conventional anatomical T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were obtained in three orthogonal planes to select the voxel position in the gastrocnemius muscle for MRS measurements. Voxel size was 40 mm I—S × 30 mm A—P × 12 mm L—R. Total acquisition time of the spectrum was 9 min.
Spectra raw data were analysed with Java Magnetic Resonance User Interface software Naressi et al. For quantification purposes, only the carnosine H 2 peak at 8. Carnosine values were normalized by the internal water content in the voxel, measured from the water unsuppressed reference acquisitions.
Water and carnosine signals were quantified using a Hankel—Lanczos singular value decomposition HLSVD algorithm Pijnappel et al. No corrections for the effect of relaxation times were applied.
The coefficient of variation CV for muscle carnosine content was 2. Carnosine data were expressed relatively to the water signal. The lack of a carnosine phantom i.
The participants were required to visit the laboratory on two occasions. At the first visit, subjects performed an incremental test on a motorized treadmill CenturionMicromed, Brazil. The starting speed was set at 1. The ventilatory anaerobic threshold VAT and V O 2 peak were determined according to previously described criteria Howley et al.
This intensity was maintained to the limit of tolerance TLIM. In both tests, the time-to-exhaustion was assessed as a measure of exercise tolerance. The subjects received strong verbal encouragement to continue as long as possible.
The Brazilian version of the Short-Form Health Survey SF was used to assess quality of life Ciconelli et al. The SF consists of eight subscales: physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health problems so-called physical role functionbodily pain, general health perceptions, vitality, social role functioning, role limitations due to emotional health problems so-called emotional role functioning and mental health.
Items were answered according to standardized response choices. Raw scores are transformed to scale scores ranging from 0 towith higher scores indicating better levels of functioning.
Food intake was assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks of supplementation by means of three 24 h dietary recalls undertaken on separate days 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day using a visual aid photo album of real foods. The 24 h dietary recall consists of the listing of foods and beverages consumed during 24 h prior to the recall.
Energy and macronutrient intakes were analysed by the Brazilian software DietPro 5. Blood and urine samples for clinical biochemistry i. Intention-to-treat analysis was used for each comparison, irrespective of the compliance with the intervention.
Shapiro—Wilk test revealed normal distribution of the data. Unpaired t tests were used to assess relative changes between groups for muscle carnosine and physical capacity parameters.
Quality of life data were tested by Wilcoxon test. The remaining variables were tested by a Mixed Model procedure. Pearson correlations were performed between relative changes in muscle carnosine content and performance parameters.
Effect sizes ES for muscle carnosine and physical capacity parameters were estimated for the posttest assessments using the pooled standard deviation of the two independent samples at POST to determine the practical significance of the present findings.
Data are expressed as mean ± SD. Three patients two male and one female from the BA group presented unreliable MRS scans at either PRE or POST and were excluded from all analyses involving muscle carnosine determination, and all correlations. After exclusion of these subjects, baseline values for all measurements remained non-significantly different between the groups.
Body mass and body composition data not shownand food intake Table 2 did not significantly differ within between Pre and Post or between groups. a Individual data for muscle carnosine content arbitrary units at baseline PRE and after 12 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation POST These correlations are illustrated in Fig.
No significant within- or between-group changes were observed in the timed-stands test after beta-alanine supplementation PRE: 16 ± 2; POST 17 ± 2 repetitions when compared with the PL group PRE: 15 ± 3; POST 16 ± 3 repetitions. Similarly, no significant changes were observed in the timed-up-and-go test after beta-alanine supplementation PRE: 6.
No significant changes were observed between groups for quality of life parameters Table 3. Laboratory parameters were unchanged after the intervention Table 4.
Additionally, there were no self-reported side effects throughout the course of the study. The main and novel finding of the present study is that beta-alanine supplementation is able to increase the muscle carnosine concentration in elderly 60—80 yrs subjects.
Importantly, the study also showed compelling evidence indicating that the increase in muscle carnosine was paralleled by an improvement in exercise tolerance with no evidence of any adverse effect. The present data is in accordance with a growing body of evidence obtained in younger subjects suggesting that beta-alanine supplementation results in increased carnosine synthesis in muscle Harris et al.
The present data further demonstrate that within the age group measured, ageing does not impair intramuscular beta-alanine uptake or intramuscular carnosine synthesis. Although one study Kim demonstrated a normal muscle carnosine content in older individuals with glucose intolerance, Tallon et al.
Similarly Stuerenburg and Kunze reported a significant age-related reduction in skeletal muscle carnosine. These dissonant findings may be explained, at least in part by dietary differences, as the Korean population studied by Kim is described as eating a typical Korean diet including chicken, pork and beef meat, as well as fish.
Changing dietary patterns in the elderly due to loss of appetite will reduce beta-alanine intake from the ingestion of histidine containing dipeptides carnosine, anserine and balenine.
Even where dietary intake of protein may be adequate, dietary levels of beta-alanine may fall. Declining levels of carnosine in muscle may also occur with preferential loss of type II muscle fibres with age, or with a reduction in cross sectional area of type II muscle fibres, since in humans these have up to two times the level of carnosine compared to type I Harris et al.
In such circumstances beta-alanine supplementation could be beneficial in maintaining or even elevating muscle carnosine levels with possible improvements in physical exercise capacity and life quality.
In the present study the mean increase of
: Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels| Can the Skeletal Muscle Carnosine Response to Beta-Alanine Supplementation Be Optimized? | Reviewed by: Inge Everaert , Ghent University, Belgium Jozef Ukropec , Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia. The highlights of this report are as follows:. It includes 10 evidence-based ways to naturally increase your HGH levels. Search all BMC articles Search. The introduction of beta-alanine in the body, and in turn, higher levels of carnosine act as a buffer against lactic acid and reduce acidity levels in the muscles during exercises. What is Beta-Alanine? |
| Beta-Alanine and Carnosine’s Relationship | Abstract Carnksine aim of this study was to investigate the cwrnosine of beta-alanine supplementation on exercise capacity and Bea-alanine muscle Beta-alanine and muscle carnosine levels content in Awakens a sense of bliss subjects. Influence of oral beta-alanine carnosime L-histidine supplementation on the carnosine content of the gluteus medius. The beneficial effects of beta-alanine supplementation on power output have also been well-documented. doi: Forbes, … Paul Faulkner. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on performance and body composition in collegiate wrestlers and football players. The panel concluded that there was insufficient evidence to recommend the use of beta-alanine by military personnel [ 78 ]. |
| What Is The Link Between Carnosine and Beta-Alanine? | Moreover, there is no known mechanism to explain why certain individuals may be predisposed to experiencing paraesthesia. Taking it with a meal may be even more effective. Facts Res Gerontol 4 Suppl 2 —59 Google Scholar Harris RC, Dunnett M, Greenhaff PL Carnosine and taurine contents in individual fibres in human vastus lateralis muscle. Physiol Rev. In total, participants comprising men and 89 women were included in the meta-analysis, of which consumed BA, with the remaining allocated to a placebo intervention. |
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