ABSTRACT
Beta-alanine is widely considered an effective ergogenic aid and is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as one of five sports supplements that have sufficient evidence to support its use. An expanding literature base attesting to its ergogenic potential in a variety of high-intensity sports underpins its worldwide popularity as an ergogenic aid. Beta-alanine supplementation, and a subsequent increase in intramuscular carnosine, may augment the ability of the body to resist exercise-induced changes in muscle pH, improving high-intensity exercise performance. A few studies have explored the influence of beta-alanine supplementation on health-related parameters in older adults and overall positive results have been reported. The efficiency of beta-alanine supplementation to increase muscle carnosine appears to be low, with only approximately 2-6% of beta-alanine consumed being incorporated into muscle carnosine, with the remainder routed towards oxidation or transamination. The greatest modifier of the ergogenic efficacy of beta-alanine supplementation appears to be the duration of the exercise task performed.
