By: Matthew Kadey, MS, RD

4) BETA-ALANINE

Beta-alanine is used by the body to make carnosine, which is one of the primary buffers in human muscles. Carnosine is what helps you maintain a normal acid level in your muscles during exercise, so supplementing with beta-alanine should, at least in theory, increase your ability to exercise without seeing an increase in acid levels in your muscle tissue.

That is precisely what beta-alanine does. It allows you to perform just a little bit longer during extended, high-intensity training. In one study that looked at most of the scientific literature surrounding beta-alanine, it was found that beta-alanine supplementation increases your ability to do work by almost 3%.

It is important to note that beta-alanine does not work after a single dose. It often takes 4-6 weeks of supplementing with beta-alanine at ~5 grams per day to see an effect. This is because similar to creatine, and it takes chronic dosing of beta-alanine to increase carnosine stores in the body.