Beta Alanine -- Side Effects and Benefits

Beta Alanine is one of the body's amino acids that has at least one fairly interesting reported side effect that comes about through supplements. In high concentrations in the bloodstream, Beta Alanine can cause a side effect known as paresthesia, which is the sensation of pins and needles on the skin a person feels when one of their limbs falls asleep. Though kind of strange, this side effect isn't seen as dangerous. Aside from that, there are few reported Beta Alanine side effects to worry about. In different doses, some have report skin irritation and flushing from taking Beta Alanine pills. These side effects are very temporary, and in normal doses there are no reported long term Beta Alanine side effects. Beta Alanine, in being an amino acid, is used throughout the body, however not in one very large way. Beta Alanine isn't used by the body in the production of proteins or enzymes. If you're interested in that, I just wrote a great article you should check out about the Function of Amino Acids in the Body.

Many bodybuilders supplement amino acids because of their positive effects in building and repairing muscles. If this is you, check out my article on one of the best amino acids L-Carnitine, which helps kick start the fat burning process, and Glutamine, which helps repair broken muscle tissue. Beta Alanine likewise, is an amino acid that helps the body build and repair muscle tissue. Beta Alanine aids in the production of muscle as well as repair because it is a precursor to the compound Carnosine. Carnosine is a compound that aids athletes by reducing fatigue and increasing the overall amount of work that the muscles are able to output. Carnosine is found in highest concentration in muscle tissue, though has been studied in relation to a number of other health benefits. Carnosine may even have powerful antioxidant properties, and studies are being done to investigate its role in recovery and healing, enhancing the immune system, and even in anti-aging.

In the above section, we talked about how Beta Alanine helps the body to synthesize the compound Carnosine, which is found throughout the body, but most notably in the muscles.  Carnosine lessens the impact of fatigue during workouts and increases the power of the muscles. So how does this work exactly? As a person exercises, especially during a high intensity workout, positively charged hydrogen atoms (H+) start accumulating in the region, causing things to become more acidic. Lactic acid is also produced because of the metabolism of glycogen, which is one of the forms of energy the body uses. These two factors cause fatigue and muscle burn and soreness.

So how does Carnosine work then? Carnosine acts by absorbing stray H+ atoms it comes in contact with, thereby assisting the body in maintaining its pH balance during an workout routine. This action delays fatigue until the the stray H+ atoms become so great that fatigue is inevitable.  So the greater the supply of Carnosine in the muscles, the more H+ atoms the body is able to absorb.

The best benefit to Beta Alanine is that it's very bio-available, meaning that the body absorbs and utilizes it very well through the digestive tract. Research studies have shown that Beta Alanine supplements can raise the level of Carnosine in muscles by up to 65%. That's pretty incredible, especially because most supplements have a much lesser absorption and usability rate. And Beta Alanine, being a naturally used amino acid, doesn't come with a range of side effects, which many other muscle enhancing drugs do.