What Is The Benefit Of Pre Workout Supplementation
The body building supplement industry is built largely upon hype, with an occasional secondary nod to science-based results. In contrast with the beneficial effects of caffeine on power output in parallel with barbell displacement velocity, BA supplementation seems to increase power through an increased training volume without affecting the relationship between intensity and velocity.
Β-Alanine betaine is synthesized by S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent enzymatic N-methylation of β-alanine ( Figure 5A ) via N-methyl β-alanine and N,N-dimethyl β-alanine ( Raman and Rathinasabapathi, 2003 ). Most members of the highly stress-tolerant Plumbaginaceae accumulate β-alanine betaine instead of glycine betaine ( Hanson et al., 1991 , 1994 ). It was proposed that β-alanine betaine is a more suitable osmoprotectant than glycine betaine under saline hypoxic conditions because the first step in glycine betaine synthesis catalyzed by choline monooxygenase EC 1.14.15.7 requires molecular oxygen ( Hanson et al., 1991 , 1994 ). Further, β-alanine betaine accumulation was proposed to be an evolutionary strategy to avoid the metabolic limitations existing for choline oxidation under hypoxic conditions, because β-alanine betaine is synthesized from the ubiquitous primary metabolite β-alanine ( Hanson et al., 1994 ).
Β-Alanine aminotransferases from plants have been known since at least the late 1960s ( Stinson and Spencer, 1969a , b ). Work on enzymes from Phaseolus vulgaris (wax bean) cotyledons showed that β-alanine could be converted into the well-known plant signaling molecule ethylene ( Stinson and Spencer, 1969a , b ). In some plants, β-alanine is additionally converted to β-alanine betaine, an important quaternary ammonium osmoprotective compound that is involved in tolerance to both high salt concentration and low oxygen ( Hanson et al., 1991 , 1994 ; van Dongen et al., 2009 ; Rocha et al., 2010a , b ). A role for β-alanine in recovery from waterlogging was suggested in an earlier study employing a hydroponic system ( Drakeford et al., 1985 ). In vitro protection against high temperature stress for the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is afforded by β-alanine ( Mehta and Seidler, 2005 ).
Three studies have investigated the application of β-alanine supplementation as a training aid in team-sport athletes ( 50,51,60 ). Kern and Robinson ( 60 ) supplemented what is beta alanine American football players and collegiate wrestlers with β-alanine (4.0 g.d−1) during an inseason 8-week period of high-intensity interval training.
High-intensity intermittent exercise that is interspersed with smaller recovery periods (usually ≤60 seconds) and features short-duration sprints (≤10 seconds) has been termed repeated sprint ability ( 37 ). These short-duration sprints and recovery periods are thought to be indicative of the physiological demands of play in team-sport matches ( 90 ). Recent research has reported limited benefits of β-alanine supplementation on repeated sprint ability.
The ergogenic potential of β-alanine supplementation for elite athletes performing repeated high-intensity exercise bouts, either during training or during competition in sports which require repeated maximal efforts (e.g., rugby and soccer), needs scientific confirmation.
Carnosine degradation has been shown to be a relatively slow process with a reported washout rate of ∼2-4%.per week after the cessation of β-alanine supplementation ( 7,95 ). Furthermore, similar to carnosine loading, there seems to be considerable variability in the rate of carnosine washout, as Baguet et al. ( 7 ) reported a total washout period of 6-15 weeks, whereas Stellingwerff et al. ( 95 ) demonstrated a 15-20 weeks of washout period.
It is important to note, however, that increases in power output at ventilatory threshold with β-alanine supplementation could also be caused by increased buffering capacity, rather than other purported mechanisms, since higher buffering capacity via carnosine could reduce the need for H+ buffering through hyperventilation and CO2 elimination.
In contrast to L-alanine, which is a proteinogenic amino acid, β-alanine has no stereo center ( Figure 1 ). β-Alanine is incorporated into pantothenate (Vitamin B5), and therefore, is a precursor of Coenzyme A (CoA) and acyl-carrier protein, which shuttle carbon within the cell ( Voet et al., 2006 ). β-Alanine is a component of carnosine, a dipeptide concentrated in muscle and brain tissue, which underlies the wide use of β-alanine in humans as a strength enhancing supplement.
Strategies to optimize muscle carnosine synthesis through β-alanine supplementation seem to be of vital importance because carnosine has been reported to be a determinant of rowing performance ( 4 ) and contribute to the latter half of high-intensity sprint cycling ( 101 ). Furthermore, the increase in muscle carnosine content after β-alanine supplementation has been positively correlated (R = 0.498; p = 0.042) to the magnitude of performance improvement during a 2,000-m rowing time trial ( 4 ), and further improvements in high-intensity cycling capacity have been shown after 10 weeks of β-alanine supplementation compared with 4 weeks ( 44 ). It would therefore seem important to maximize muscle carnosine loading through β-alanine supplementation.
Research has suggested that Beta Alanine works well with fast-acting carbohydrates such as Waxy Maize Starch , Dextrose & Maltodextrin It is also thought that Beta Alanine and creatine work synergistically, so we would suggest combining with Creatine Monohydrate for its neutral taste.
Since the intake of BETA-ALANINE also requires a chronic intake for about 8 weeks in order to increase the body's own carnosine stores, such an intake strategy does not give rise to any tolerance problems compared to acute intake on the day of the competition.