Beta alanine

Beta-alanine/Drug Interactions:

  • Impotence agentsImpotence agents: According to secondary sources, beta-alanine may increase the production of nitric oxide, thus increasing vasodilation. Theoretically, concurrent use may cause additive vasodilatory effects.
  • VasodilatorsVasodilators: According to secondary sources, beta-alanine may increase the production of nitric oxide, thus increasing vasodilation. Theoretically, concurrent use may cause additive vasodilatory effects.
  • VigabatrinVigabatrin: According to human research, oral administration with vigabatrin (Sabril?) resulted in increases in concentrations of beta-alanine (17).

    • Beta-alanine/Herb/Supplement Interactions:

  • AphrodisiacsAphrodisiacs: According to secondary sources, beta-alanine may increase the production of nitric oxide, thus increasing vasodilation. Theoretically, concurrent use may cause additive vasodilatory effects.
  • CreatineCreatine: Although it has been suggested that beta-alanine enhances the ergogenic effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation, there is a lack of support from clinical trials (19; 20).
  • Exercise performance enhancersExercise performance enhancers: In human research, beta-alanine supplementation has been shown to increase exercise performance, including increased peak power output during a sprint (2); increased training volume for the bench press exercise (3); total number of repetitions performed, as well as an increase in the change in mean power (4); fatigue threshold, ventilatory threshold, and time to exhaustion (1); and physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold (1; 5; 6). Theoretically, concurrent use may cause additive effects.
  • TaurineTaurine: It has been suggested in secondary sources that taurine and beta-alanine may compete for the same transporter required for absorption, thus potentially decreasing absorption of beta-alanine or taurine. However, information from clinical trials suggests that beta-alanine resulted in an increase in plasma taurine (21). In a separate study, taurine did not reduce the amount of carnosine produced in beta-alanine-treated subjects (22).
  • VasodilatorsVasodilators: According to secondary sources, beta-alanine may increase the production of nitric oxide, thus increasing vasodilation. Theoretically, concurrent use may cause additive vasodilatory effects.

    • Beta-alanine/Food Interactions:

  • CarbohydratesCarbohydrates: According to secondary sources, carbohydrates reduced the time needed for beta-alanine-induced performance gains. It has also been suggested that carbohydrates or foods in general may blunt the prickling effect (paresthesia) of beta-alanine.

    • Beta-alanine/Lab Interactions:

  • AnserineAnserine: In human research, traces of anserine were found in urine following beta-alanine supplementation (21).
  • Beta-alanineBeta-alanine: In human research, when administered as a histidine dipeptide (40mg/kg of body weight of beta-alanine) in chicken broth, or at doses of 10, 20, or 40mg/kg (CarnoSynT), beta-alanine increased in the blood for up two hours (21). Small amounts of beta-alanine were also found in the urine (21).
  • CarnosineCarnosine: In human research, beta-alanine resulted in increased muscle carnosine levels (7; 8; 9; 10). Traces of carnosine have also been found in the urine following beta-alanine supplementation (21).
  • Nitric oxideNitric oxide: According to secondary sources, beta-alanine may increase the production of nitric oxide.
  • Physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold (PWCFT) testPhysical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold (PWCFT) test: In human research, beta-alanine supplementation increased the PWCFT (5; 1; 6).
  • TaurineTaurine: In human research, when administered as a histidine dipeptide (40mg/kg of body weight of beta-alanine) in chicken broth, or at doses of 10, 20, or 40mg/kg of beta-alanine (CarnoSynT), plasma taurine increased (21). Beta-alanine had no effect on taurine in a separate study (9).
  • Timeto-exhaustionTime-to-exhaustion: In human research, beta-alanine supplementation increased the time-to-exhaustion during cycle ergometry tests (1).
  • Ventilatory thresholdVentilatory threshold: In human research, beta-alanine supplementation delayed the onset of the ventilatory threshold at submaximal workloads in cycle ergometry tests (1).