Beta-Alanine

Does anybody take beta-alanine? Any benefit?

I take beta-alanine on a regular basis, not for PE, however. I take 2g with my pre-workout cocktail. There is a great deal of research showing that beta-alanine increases the number of repititions performed before muscular failure occurs.

I’m not exactly sure how it works, something to do with carnitine levels, but you can definitely feel the tingling it causes, and the increased muscular endurance it imparts. As far as benefits to PE, I’m not certain if beta-alanine would be beneficial in any way, and certainly not as effective as the pump supplements (arginine, norvaline, etc.). Perhaps someone who knows more about the influence of beta-alanine on soft tissue can answer definitively.

I’ve been taking it for around 7 weeks now and I’ve honestly noticed no difference.

Only thing I notice is that around 15-30 minutes after taking it my skin starts to sting which apparently is a sign that it is working.

It’s a precursor to carnitine. If you take carnitine by itself, most of it breaks down in the liver before it gets a chance to go to your muscles. Beta Alanine supposedly prevents wastage by encouraging the body to create it’s own carnitine from the beta alanine.

Thanks for the answers.

I take time-release Beta Alanine made by Biotest and it’s my favorite supplement. I seem to have “good workouts” more than ever since starting taking it.

I was trying it out pre-workout for a while, but then I dosed wayyy too high by accident and had an intense attack of the skin prickles to the point I had to lay down. Haven’t tried again since then.

I took it last time and i’ve no idea why my skin starts to have bumps and itch alot :(

My pre-workout dose was:

1.5g of 100:1 Tongkat Ali mixed with Green Tea 1 hour before taking the next lot of supplements.

2g Beta Alanine
2g Citrulline Malate
5g GABA
10g Micronised Creatine
30g Waxy Maize Starch

Some days it was like having a heart attack! Once the GABA kicked in my resting heart rate was around 130bpm and my skin was stinging from the beta alanine, particularly on my face and neck, my eyes would go blurry, my mouth would get dry and I would get a massive urge to spew. It was pretty scary when it kicked in while I was driving, had a few near misses because I was unable to focus.

Funny enough I noticed no difference in my strength or work rate while taking these. One side effect was waking up 2 or 3 times a night to go to the toilet.

I haven’t taken any of this stuff for a while now and the only time I notice a difference in my physical abilities is when I have a V energy drink 15-20 minutes before a workout. I can push heavier weights for longer and my workouts are twice as long as they normally are. And no more midnight toilet breaks. :)

I wonder how GABA raises heart rate, considering that it suppresses neuron firing. I notice a short period (about 2 minutes) where my heart and breathing rate is elevated when I take it before bed sometimes.

From what I’ve read GABA stimulates the anterior pituitary gland which affects some rather important organs:

Its regulatory functions are achieved through the secretion of various peptide hormones that act on target organs including the adrenal gland, liver, bone, thyroid gland, and gonads. The anterior pituitary itself is regulated by the hypothalamus and by negative feedback from these target organs.

Anterior pituitary - Wikipedia