65. BETA-ALANINE FOR CYCLING by JEFF ROTHSCHILD PhD

Photo by Kier in Sight Archives on Unsplash

What is Beta-Alanine?

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that serves as a building block for carnosine, a compound stored in muscles. Unlike other amino acids, beta-alanine does not contribute directly to protein synthesis but plays a crucial role in buffering acidity in muscle cells. When ingested, beta-alanine combines with histidine to form carnosine, which helps maintain pH balance during high-intensity exercise. This buffering effect is particularly useful in delaying muscular fatigue and sustaining performance.

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Why is Beta-Alanine Used in Cycling and Endurance Sports?

In endurance sports like cycling, sustained high-intensity efforts (above second threshold/FTP/CP) generate hydrogen ions (H+), which lower muscle pH and contribute to fatigue. Carnosine, facilitated by beta-alanine supplementation, helps neutralize these hydrogen ions, potentially improving performance. Beta-alanine is particularly beneficial in race scenarios involving efforts above the second threshold/CP/FTP (repeated accelerations/sprints, time trials, or climbs where the drop in pH can limit performance.

The physiological mechanism and its area of application is very similar to what we saw (here) for sodium bicarbonate. The difference is that sodium bicarbonate acts as an extracellular buffer, while beta-alanine primarily enhances intracellular buffering capacity, making it complementary rather than redundant when used in addition to sodium bicarbonate.

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Does Beta-Alanine Boost Race Performance?

Beta-alanine supplementation has been shown to improve performance in events lasting 1–10 minutes, where acidosis is a limiting factor (Saunders et al., 2017). However, its effects on endurance events beyond 60 minutes are less clear, likely related to the varying nature of the exercise bouts. For instance, one study found that beta-alanine supplementation significantly increased peak power output during sprints at the end of an endurance cycling race (Van Thienen et al., 2009), but another study indicated no improvement in short-duration sprints or time-trial performance during prolonged cycling (Perim et al., 2022). In the later study, the sprints were only 10 seconds in duration, and the time-trial was roughly 12.5 mins, both of which are outside of the optimal 1–10 min window where beta-alanine may shine.

Thus, its effectiveness may depend on the specific demands of the race. While it may not directly enhance prolonged endurance efforts, it could improve the ability to attack, surge, or sustain high power outputs during critical race moments.

For cyclists, beta-alanine may be particularly useful in:

• Short-to-medium-duration effotts (3–10 min)

• Repeated sprint efforts (e.g., criteriums, breakaways)

• Final sprint finishes after prolonged efforts

However, its effects are less pronounced in ultra-endurance efforts where neuromuscular fatigue and glycogen depletion rather than muscular acidosis is the primary limiter.

Does Beta-Alanine Improve Training Adaptations?