Ergogenic aid spotlight: Beta Alanine Published Jan. 26, 2011 By 2nd Lt. James Brown Aerospace Physiology Flight VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- One of the hot topics in sports nutrition is supplements, specifically ergogenic aids, or anything that enhances performance. Rarely does a supplement have solid research behind it. For years new supplements have come out by the truckload only to disappoint, both from a scientific and real world perspective. Since Creatine broke onto the scene in the 1990s, there really haven't been many legal compounds brought out that truly, effectively, and safely, enhanced athletic performance. But fear not. The next big guy on the block is Beta Alanine. Dr. Roger Harris was one of the pioneering scientist into the research behind this ergogenic-aid all star. Dr. Harris is the sports scientist who brought Creatine into the fitness world. Research into Beta Alanine has been done on human athletes such as collegiate football players, wrestlers and more, showing improvements in muscle mass, strength, endurance and power. Beta Alanine is a non-essential, non-proteogenic amino acid found naturally in many foods such as beef and chicken. In our muscle is a naturally occurring dipeptide named carnosine that is synthesized from the amino acids Beta Alanine and Histidine. Supplementation with Histidine is not important as it is not the rate limiting amino acid in Carnosine synthesis -- Beta Alanine is. When we elevate our muscles stores of Carnosine many things happen. Carnosine has a wide range of many health benefits, especially for the athlete. During exercise our muscles produce a wide variety of metabolic waste which can accumulate and create an acidic environment in the muscle. This is the "burn" we feel when we exercise. This burn and buildup of metabolic waste fatigues us, hampering our exercise efforts. Carnosine combats this by soaking up hydrogen ions which are responsible for the pH drop within our muscle. By keeping our muscles within a more optimal pH range, fatigue does not creep in as fast, allowing our muscle to more forcibly contract for a longer period of time. A daily dose of 3.2 to 6.4 grams a day has been shown to boost muscle Carnosine levels about 42-80 percent. Who can benefit from Beta Alanine? Anyone, male or female, runners, cyclists, weight lifters, high intensity cross trained athletes, anyone who is looking to gain lean body mass, extra strength, endurance and power can benefit. Beta Alanine and Creatine work very differently. Beta Alanine does not draw water into the muscle as Creatine does. Some notice benefits in as little as a week, with others noticing dramatic results in week three or four. For more information, contact the Aerospace Physiology Flight, 213-7931. As with any nutritional supplement, discuss with your doctor before use.