Beta-Alanine Research
43 peer-reviewed studies · Evidence score: 7.5/10
Dosing strategies for β-alanine supplementation in strength and power performance: a systematic review
Smith AE et al. • Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2025)
Fragmented dosing protocols of 4-6.4g/day over 5-8 weeks optimize strength and power outcomes.
- 4-6.4g/day for 5-8 weeks optimal
- Best during high metabolic stress training
- Dosing strategy more important than duration alone
Nutritional Strategies for Optimizing Health, Sports Performance, and Recovery for Female Athletes and Other Physically Active Women: A Systematic Review
Larrosa M et al. • Nutrition reviews (2025)
Diets with high carbohydrate (CHO) content enhance performance in activities that induce muscle glycogen depletion.
- Diets with high carbohydrate (CHO) content enhance performance in activities that induce muscle glycogen depletion.
- In addition, pre-exercise meals with a high glycemic index or rich in CHOs increase CHO metabolism.
- Ingestion of 5-6 protein meals interspersed throughout the day, with each intake exceeding 25 g of protein favors anabolism of muscle proteins.
Nutritional Ergogenic Aids in Cycling: A Systematic Review
Valiño-Marques A et al. • Nutrients (2024)
However, no statistically significant effects were identified for the remaining supplements, whether administered individually or in combination.
- However, no statistically significant effects were identified for the remaining supplements, whether administered individually or in combination.
- Thirty-six articles involving 701 participants were included in this review, examining supplementation with caffeine (n = 5), creatine (n = 2), sodium bicarbonate (n = 6), beta-alanine (n = 3), and nitrates (n = 8).
- Additionally, supplemental combinations of caffeine and creatine (n = 3), caffeine and sodium bicarbonate (n = 3), caffeine and nitrates (n = 1), creatine and sodium bicarbonate (n = 1), and sodium bicarbonate and beta-alanine (n = 4) were analyzed.
Beta-alanine supplementation and exercise performance: A meta-analysis
Saunders B et al. • British Journal of Sports Medicine (2017)
Beta-alanine supplementation improved exercise capacity, with the greatest effects in 1-4 minute duration efforts.
- Significant improvement in exercise capacity
- Most effective for 1-4 minute efforts
- Median improvement of 2.85%
Effects of Creatine and β-Alanine Co-Supplementation on Exercise Performance and Body Composition: A Systematic Review
Ashtary-Larky D et al. • Nutrients (2025)
Conclusions: The combination of creatine and β-alanine supplementation may be effective for enhancing high-intensity exercise performance but has no greater effect on maximal strength, body composition, or measures of aerobic capacity compared to creatine or β-alanine alone.
- The effects of creatine and β-alanine supplementation on body composition were equivocal, with one study reporting greater lean mass gains and fat mass reductions compared to creatine and β-alanine supplementation individually, while another found no significant improvements.
- Additionally, no significant improvements in aerobic endurance capacity (VO2max, lactate threshold, or time to exhaustion) were observed from creatine and β-alanine supplementation co-ingestion.
- Co-ingestion of creatine and β-alanine supplementation did not increase measures of maximal strength compared to creatine alone.
Effect of Beta-Alanine Supplementation on Maximal Intensity Exercise in Trained Young Male Individuals
Furst T et al. • International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (2024)
Significant effect favoring beta-alanine with overall effect size of 0.39 across 18 studies.
- Effect size 0.39 vs placebo (p=0.01)
- Optimal at 5.6-6.4g/day (effect size 0.35)
- 4-10 minute efforts showed effect size 0.55
Effect of carnosine or beta-alanine supplementation therapy for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Li N et al. • BMC endocrine disorders (2025)
Carnosine and β-alanine supplementation show potential as adjunct therapies for improving FBG, HbA1c and HOMA-β in prediabetes and T2DM.
- Our analysis indicated that supplementation significantly reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) (SMD: -0.53; 95% CI: -0.75 to -0.31; p < 0.00001) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels (SMD:-0.36; 95% CI:-0.59 to -0.12; p = 0.003) compared to placebo.
- Carnosine and β-alanine supplementation show potential as adjunct therapies for improving FBG, HbA1c and HOMA-β in prediabetes and T2DM.
- Further rigorous studies are warranted to establish optimal dosage, treatment duration, and long-term efficacy in clinical practice.
Beta-Alanine for Improving Exercise Capacity, Muscle Strength, and Functional Performance of Older Adults: A Systematic Review
de Camargo JBB et al. • Journal of aging and physical activity (2025)
Overall, exercise capacity may be improved following supplementation protocols with dosages ranging from 2.4 to 3.2 g/day.
- Overall, exercise capacity may be improved following supplementation protocols with dosages ranging from 2.4 to 3.2 g/day.
- Muscle strength and functional performance do not seem to be improved by beta-alanine since these tasks are not significantly impacted by acidosis buildup.
- Further research warranted to confirm findings
Effects of different dietary supplements on athletic performance in soccer players: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Luo H et al. • Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2025)
This study suggests that a range of dietary supplements, including caffeine, creatine, creatine + sodium bicarbonate, magnesium creatine chelate, carbohydrate + electrolyte, carbohydrate + protein, arginine, beta-alanine, bovine colostrum, Kaempferia parviflora, melatonin, and sodium pyruvate, can improve athletic performance in soccer players.
- Kaempferia parviflora (SMD: 0.46, small) was associated with a significant effect on enhancing muscular strength.
- Beta-alanine (SMD: 0.83, moderate), melatonin (SMD: 0.75, moderate), caffeine (SMD: 0.37, small), and creatine (SMD: 0.33, small) were associated with a significant effect on enhancing jump height.
- Magnesium creatine chelate (SMD: -3.0, very large), melatonin (SMD: -1.9, large), creatine + sodium bicarbonate (SMD: -1.4, large), and arginine (SMD: -1.2, moderate) were associated with a significant effect on decreasing sprint time.
Sport supplementation in competitive swimmers: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Domínguez R et al. • Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2025)
Creatine supplementation demonstrated ergogenic benefits for competitive swimmers, although the evidence supporting the use of this supplement is still limited.
- This revision included 23 studies, 16 of them (69.6%) qualified as excellent and 7 (30.4%) as good at the methodological level based on the punctuation in the PEDro scale.
- The systematic review included 422 swimmers (61.8% male, 38.2% female), with distances assessed ranging from 50 m to 800 m, including studies employing interval procedures.
- Creatine showed a significant effect (ES = -0.46; 95% CIs = -0.75 to -0.17, p = 0.002; I2 = 11%) on swimming performance, while the rest of the analyzed supplements did not show significant effects (all p > 0.05).
Effect of β-alanine and sodium bicarbonate co-supplementation on the body's buffering capacity and sports performance: A systematic review
Gilsanz L et al. • Critical reviews in food science and nutrition (2023)
According to the results of the studies reviewed, we would recommend β-A and SB co-supplementation during high intensity exercises lasting between 30 s and 10 min.
- Nine studies including a total of 221 athletes were identified for review.
- Athletes were supplemented with β-A and SB while they performed exercise tests to assess physical performance and buffer capacity.
- Five of the nine studies indicated there was some additional improvement in buffering capacity and performance with co-supplementation, while one study concluded that the effect was comparable to the added effects of the individual supplements.
Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on body composition: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis
Ashtary-Larky D et al. • Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2022)
This meta-analysis study suggests that beta-alanine supplementation is unlikely to improve body composition indices regardless of supplementation dosage and its combination with exercise training.
- This meta-analysis study suggests that beta-alanine supplementation is unlikely to improve body composition indices regardless of supplementation dosage and its combination with exercise training.
- No studies have examined the effect of beta-alanine combined with both diet and exercise on body composition changes as the primary variable.
- Further research warranted to confirm findings
The Muscle Carnosine Response to Beta-Alanine Supplementation: A Systematic Review With Bayesian Meta-Analysis
Dolan E et al. • Frontiers in Physiology (2020)
99.3% response rate to beta-alanine supplementation with large capacity for carnosine accumulation.
- Near-universal response rate (99.3%)
- Muscle has large capacity for carnosine storage
- Common protocols may not saturate carnosine
Effect of L-Carnosine in children with autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Abraham DA et al. • Amino acids (2021)
Further studies are warranted to know the effect of L-Carnosine for ASD management.
- The modified Cochrane risk of bias tool showed a low to high risk of bias.
- Current data do not support the use of L-Carnosine in the management of children with ASD due to a low number of studies and sample size available.
- Further studies are warranted to know the effect of L-Carnosine for ASD management.
Dietary Supplementation on Physical Performance and Recovery in Active-Duty Military Personnel: A Systematic Review of Randomized and Quasi-Experimental Controlled Trials
Harlow J et al. • Nutrients (2024)
Nutrition supplementation may have small benefits on muscle performance and recovery in warfighters.
- Nutrition supplementation may have small benefits on muscle performance and recovery in warfighters.
- However, there are significant limitations in interpretation due to the largely inconsistent evidence of ingredients and comparable outcomes.
- Thus, there is inadequate practical evidence to suggest how dietary supplementation may affect field performance.
β-Alanine Supplementation in Combat Sports: Evaluation of Sports Performance, Perception, and Anthropometric Parameters and Biochemical Markers-A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials
Fernández-Lázaro D et al. • Nutrients (2023)
Finally, there was a non-significant (p > 0.05) improvement in the anthropometric parameters of lean mass and fat mass. β-alanine supplementation appears to be safe and could be a suitable nutritional ergogenic aid for combat athletes.
- Overall, performance parameters related to strength, power, total exercise work capacity, and combat-specific parameters were significantly improved (p < 0.05).
- Perception parameters increased non-significantly (p > 0.05).
- Regarding biochemical parameters, carnosine increased significantly (p < 0.05), pH decreased non-significantly (p > 0.05), and the results for blood bicarbonate and blood lactate were heterogeneous.
Histidine-containing dipeptide supplementation improves delayed recall: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Bell SM et al. • Nutrition reviews (2024)
HCD, supplementation improved scores on the Delayed recall examination, a neuropsychological test affected early in Alzheimer's disease.
- HCD, supplementation improved scores on the Delayed recall examination, a neuropsychological test affected early in Alzheimer's disease.
- Further studies are needed in people with early cognitive impairment with longer follow-up duration and standardization of carnosine doses to delineate the true effect.
- Further research warranted to confirm findings
Nutritional Ergogenic Aids in Combat Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Vicente-Salar N et al. • Nutrients (2022)
Caffeine is the only NEA that has shown strong evidence for performance enhancement in combat sports.
- In this regard, abilities including the number of attacks, reaction time, handgrip strength, power and TTE, among others, were improved.
- Buffering supplements such as sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate and beta-alanine may have a promising role in high and intermittent exertion during combat, but more studies are needed in grappling combat sports to confirm their efficacy during sustained isometric exertion.
- Other NEAs, including creatine, beetroot juice or glycerol, need further investigation to strengthen the evidence for performance enhancement in combat sports.
Ergogenic Aids to Improve Physical Performance in Female Athletes: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis
López-Torres O et al. • Nutrients (2022)
More studies are needed in female athletes that measure the effects of different EAs on sports performance, such as beetroot juice, beta-alanine or sodium phosphate, as the studies to date are scarce and there are many types of EA that need to be further considered in this population, such as creatine and taurine.
- A random-effects model and the standardized mean differences (SMD) ± 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported.
- Aerobic tests could be improved with the use of taurine, caffeine, and beta-alanine.
- No conclusive effects of beetroot juice, polyphenols, or creatine in improving aerobic performance were shown.
Effect of Carnosine or β-Alanine Supplementation on Markers of Glycemic Control and Insulin Resistance in Humans and Animals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Matthews JJ et al. • Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) (2021)
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.
- Inferences were made on posterior samples generated by Hamiltonian Markov Chain Monte Carlo using 90% credible intervals (90% CrI) and calculated probabilities.
- GRADE assessment showed our certainty in the effect estimate of each outcome to be moderate (human outcomes) or very low (rodent outcomes).
- Supplementation with carnosine or β-alanine may reduce fasting glucose, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR in humans and rodents, and fasting insulin in humans; both compounds show potential as therapeutics to improve glycemic control and insulin resistance.