Supplementation with beta-alanine, a precursor of the amino acid carnosine which plays a role in muscle endurance during high-intensity exercise, has become popular among high-performance athletes, and beta-alanine is one of five supplement ingredients currently endorsed by the International Olympic Committee. In a recent clinical study, appearing in the journal Nutrients, researchers analyzed whether this non-essential amino acid could have an acute effect on the time-trial performance of World Tour cyclists.
 
“Several weeks of daily beta-alanine supplementation (1.6-6.4 grams in most studies) are required to significantly increase muscle carnosine and experience its physiological benefits, but no study has so far attempted higher daily doses to shorten this time span, due to the greater risk of triggering parasthesia [an uncomfortable itching or tingling sensation]. Sustained-release beta-alanine formulas can reduce this sensory side effect allowing higher single doses which, in theory, could reduce this minimum time required, but to date, no research has been carried out using a one-week high-dose loading strategy in competitive cyclists.”
 
The researchers recruited 12 elite cyclists participating in the world cup, who were placed into intensive team training camps and randomized into either a placebo group, or a group which was administered 20 grams of sustained-release beta-alanine over the course of seven days.

Both before and after the beta-alanine loading period, the participants of the study took part in a 10-minute time trial, where researchers quantified power-based relative training loads.
 
Compared to the placebo group, the beta-alanine group saw significantly improved performances throughout the study duration, including a 6.21% increase in mean power, a 2.16% increase in distance travelled, and a 4.85% increase in total work, with no differences found for either cadence or rotations. Additionally, the sustained-release formulation prevented the athletes from experiencing the well-known side effect of parasthesia.
 
“The novel finding of the present study is that a short-term high-dose beta-alanine loading improved high-intensity cycling capacity and distance covered of elite cyclists in an intensive training plan compared to a placebo,” the authors of the study said. “Maintaining performance during consecutive high-demanding stages can represent a competitive advantage for beta-alanine consumers competing at World Tour time-trail races, since small performance improvements can be considered as meaningful.”
 
While these preliminary findings on the highest single dose of beta-alanine reported to date were promising, the authors of the study noted that such a small group of participants is a limiting factor and that future studies with higher pools of participants are warranted to replicate the results of the present study.