Carnosine Research
41 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
Pharmacological and dietary-supplement treatments for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Siafis S et al. • Molecular autism (2022)
Some medications could improve core symptoms, although this could be likely secondary to the improvement of associated symptoms.
- Some medications could improve core symptoms, although this could be likely secondary to the improvement of associated symptoms.
- Evidence on their efficacy and safety is preliminary; therefore, routine prescription of medications for the core symptoms cannot be recommended.
- Trial registration PROSPERO-ID CRD42019125317.
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.
Glutamatergic medications as adjunctive therapy for moderate to severe obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Hadi F et al. • BMC pharmacology & toxicology (2021)
Augmentation of glutamatergic medications with SSRIs are beneficial in obsessive-compulsive patients, no harmful significant differences in any safety outcome were found between the groups.
- Glutamaterigic drug plus SSRIs were superior to SSRI+ Placebo with regard to Y-BOCS scale [standardized mean difference (SMD = - 3.81 95% CI = - 4.4, - 3.23).
- Augmentation of glutamatergic medications with SSRIs are beneficial in obsessive-compulsive patients, no harmful significant differences in any safety outcome were found between the groups.
- Further research warranted to confirm findings
β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Saunders B et al. • British journal of sports medicine (2017)
β-alanine had a significant overall effect while subgroup analyses revealed a number of modifying factors.
- A significant overall effect size of 0.18 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.28) was shown.
- Meta-regression demonstrated that exercise duration significantly (p=0.004) moderated effect sizes.
- Subgroup analyses also identified the type of exercise as a significant (p=0.013) moderator of effect sizes within an exercise time frame of 0.5-10 min with greater effect sizes for exercise capacity (0.4998 (95% CI 0.246 to 0.753)) versus performance (0.1078 (95% CI -0.201 to 0.416)).
Effect of Beta-Alanine Supplementation on Maximal Intensity Exercise in Trained Young Male Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Georgiou GD et al. • International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism (2024)
This may be used to inform further research, and professional or recreational training design, and optimization of supplementation strategies.
- A significant (p = .01) result was observed with an overall effect size of 0.39 (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.09, 0.69]), in favor of beta-alanine supplementation versus placebo.
- The results provide insights into which exercise modality will benefit the most, and which dosage protocols and durations stand to provide the greatest ergogenic effects.
- This may be used to inform further research, and professional or recreational training design, and optimization of supplementation strategies.
Effects of carnosine and histidine-containing dipeptides on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Saadati S et al. • Nutrition reviews (2024)
Carnosine/HCD supplementation may reduce inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, and potentially modulate the cardiometabolic risks associated with chronic low-grade inflammation and lipid peroxidation.
- Carnosine/HCD supplementation may reduce inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, and potentially modulate the cardiometabolic risks associated with chronic low-grade inflammation and lipid peroxidation.
- Published in Nutrition reviews (2024)
- Further research warranted to confirm findings
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.
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.
Efficacy and Safety of Polaprezinc-Based Therapy versus the Standard Triple Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Eradication: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Mahmoud A et al. • Nutrients (2022)
However, the evidence is still scarce, and larger trials are needed to confirm or refute our findings.
- We used the odds ratio (OR) for dichotomous outcomes presented with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI).
- Pooled OR found a statistical difference favoring the PZN arm in the intention to treat and per protocol H. pylori eradication rates (OR: 2.01 with 95% CI [1.27, 3.21], p = 0.003) and (OR: 2.65 with 95% CI [1.55, 4.54], p = 0.0004), respectively.
- We found no statistical difference between the two groups regarding the total adverse events (OR: 1.06 with 95% CI [0.55, 2.06], p = 0.85).
The role of diet and non-pharmacologic supplements in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain: A systematic review
Frediani JK et al. • Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain (2024)
Based on the review, we cannot recommend any supplement use for the management of CIPN, although further research into N-acetyl-cysteine, l-carnosine, crocin, and magnesium is warranted.
- Based on the review, we cannot recommend any supplement use for the management of CIPN, although further research into N-acetyl-cysteine, l-carnosine, crocin, and magnesium is warranted.
- Acetyl-l-carnitine was found to be likely ineffective or harmful.
- Alpha-lipoic acid was not found effective.
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
Effect of L-Carnosine in Patients with Age-Related Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Sureshkumar K et al. • Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition) (2023)
Clinical studies were conducted to manage chemotherapy induced toxicities and there are no clinical studies available for its anti-cancer use, and the current evidence does not support its use in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
- Clinical studies were conducted to manage chemotherapy induced toxicities and there are no clinical studies available for its anti-cancer use, and the current evidence does not support its use in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
- Published in Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition) (2023)
- Further research warranted to confirm findings
N-acetylcarnosine (NAC) drops for age-related cataract
Dubois VD et al. • The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (2017)
There is currently no convincing evidence that NAC reverses cataract, nor prevents progression of cataract (defined as a change in cataract appearance either for the better or for the worse).
- There is currently no convincing evidence that NAC reverses cataract, nor prevents progression of cataract (defined as a change in cataract appearance either for the better or for the worse).
- Future studies should be randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trials with standardised quality of life outcomes and validated outcome measures in terms of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and glare, and large enough to detect adverse effects.
- Further research warranted to confirm findings
Skeletal muscle hypertrophy rewires glucose metabolism: An experimental investigation and systematic review
Baumert P et al. • Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle (2024)
Understanding the mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle mass will help in developing effective treatments for muscle weakness.
- Like the hypertrophy stimulation with IGF-1 in myotubes in vitro, the concentration of the dipeptide l-carnosine was decreased by 26.6% (P = 0.001) during skeletal muscle growth in vivo.
- However, phosphorylated sugar (glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate or glucose-1-phosphate) decreased by 32.2% (P = 0.004) in the overloaded muscle in vivo while increasing in the IGF-1-stimulated myotubes in vitro.
- We demonstrated that labelled carbon from [U-13C6]glucose is increasingly incorporated by ~13% (P = 0.001) into the non-essential amino acids in hypertrophying myotubes, which is accompanied by an increased depletion of media serine (P = 0.006).
Serum Metabolome Analysis Identified Amino-Acid Metabolism Associated With Pain in People With Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis - A Cross-Sectional Study
Mehta O et al. • The journal of pain (2023)
All rights reserved.
- PERSPECTIVE: Foreseeing the global burden of knee pain in Osteoarthritis (OA) and adverse effects of current pharmacological therapies, this study is envisaged to investigate serum metabolites and molecular pathways involved in knee pain.
- The replicated metabolites in this study suggests targeting amino-acid pathways for better management of OA knee pain.Copyright © 2023 The Authors.
- Published by Elsevier Inc.
Effects of Carnosine Supplementation on Glucose Metabolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Menon KV et al. • Nutrients (2020)
Carnosine supplementation significantly improved fasting glucose and HbA1c in individuals with metabolic risk factors.
- Significant reduction in fasting blood glucose levels
- Improvements in HbA1c in prediabetic and diabetic subjects
- Anti-glycation mechanism confirmed through biomarker analysis
Effect of carnosine supplementation on lipid profile, fasting blood glucose, HbA1C and insulin resistance: A systematic review and meta-analysis of long-term randomized controlled trials
Peng W et al. • Complementary therapies in medicine (2020)
Carnosine supplementation results in a decrease in HbA1C, but elicits no effect on HOMA-IR, Cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, TG and HDL-C.
- Overall results from the random-effects model on included studies, with 184 participants, indicated that carnosine intervention reduced HbA1C levels in intervention vs control groups (WMD: -0.92 %, 95 % CI: -1.20, -0.63, I2:69 %).
- Four studies, including a total of 183 participants, reported TG changes as an outcome measure variable, but combined results did not show significant reduction in this outcome (WMD: -14.46 mg/dl, 95 % CI: -29.11, 0.19, I2:94 %).
- Carnosine supplementation results in a decrease in HbA1C, but elicits no effect on HOMA-IR, Cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, TG and HDL-C.
Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis
Hobson RM et al. • Amino acids (2012)
The median effect of β-alanine supplementation is a 2.85% (-0.37 to 10.49%) improvement in the outcome of an exercise measure, when a median total of 179 g of β-alanine is supplemented.
- BA improved (P=0.002) the outcome of exercise measures to a greater extent than Pla [median effect size (IQR): BA 0.374 (0.140-0.747), Pla 0.108 (-0.019 to 0.487)].
- Some of that effect might be explained by the improvement (P=0.013) in exercise capacity with BA compared to Pla; no improvement was seen for exercise performance (P=0.204).
- In line with the purported mechanisms for an ergogenic effect of β-alanine supplementation, exercise lasting 60-240 s was improved (P=0.001) in BA compared to Pla, as was exercise of >240 s (P=0.046).