Beta Alanine

[mouse]

I got a pretty decent coupon from BroNC in the mail yesterday, think I may still have some useable points from them from when I used to buy whey there too... thinking I might hit them up this weekend just to satisfy the urge to buy a thing.

Been reading the supps thread, seems peeps around here are kinda split on beta alanine. Anybody using it with any anecdotal evidence? Saw Jordan is back to recommending it on Szatmary's channel. I was originally thinking of grabbing up a can of Scivation, but I've never truly been sold on BCAA's and it doesn't seem like most are. Figured if I can walk away with a can of ON's beta and a few random snacks for <$15 it might be worth a trial run.

I'm just looking to hopefully shave off a minute or two between sets, I already work long hours and my time is valuable to me lol...

[brettj]

I took it for about half a year and didn't really notice anything. I stopped taking it a couple of months ago and I haven't noticed the difference... Not really a rave review here. It tingles though!

[mouse]

I took it for about half a year and didn't really notice anything. I stopped taking it a couple of months ago and I haven't noticed the difference... Not really a rave review here. It tingles though!

Lol that's why I ask... plus I'm bored...

I'll probably just end up buying random snack foods... or ya know... not bother and save my money... like a smart guy would.

But snacks...

[brettj]

It's fun to experiment with all the magic potions though. Right now I'm taking citrulline malate which as far as I can tell also does nothing.

[LexAnderson]

I took it for about a year back in the day, and it didn't do anything but give me the tingles and that was it.

[Stenson]

I've tried everything in their Gainzzz supplement individually in the past year (HMB, betaine, citrulline, beta alanine, creatine) and the only things I've noticed any difference with were creatine and beta alanine. With Beta alanine I've gone on and off several times (not really by choice, just too poor or lazy to buy a new tub), and every time I could tell a difference with my higher rep sets. I've always included at least some level of bro-work so YMMV

I'd say get it IF you do any higher rep bodybuilding type stuff or density blocks/myoreps/whatever else the bros are doing these days. It's dirt cheap so you might as well, I use the NOW 500g tubs, they're $20 on amazon and last like 3 months

[mouse]

I've tried everything in their Gainzzz supplement individually in the past year (HMB, betaine, citrulline, beta alanine, creatine) and the only things I've noticed any difference with were creatine and beta alanine. With Beta alanine I've gone on and off several times (not really by choice, just too poor or lazy to buy a new tub), and every time I could tell a difference with my higher rep sets. I've always included at least some level of bro-work so YMMV

I'd say get it IF you do any higher rep bodybuilding type stuff or density blocks/myoreps/whatever else the bros are doing these days. It's dirt cheap so you might as well, I use the NOW 500g tubs, they're $20 on amazon and last like 3 months

I do NOT do any higher rep stuff at the moment (intensity gainz bruhhh) so maybe I'll just hold off... when the time comes for higher rep stuff (probably sooner rather than later I suspect, but I'm not at the wheel of my programming) I may consider giving it a whirl to see...

[ithryn]

Can concur not noticing any difference on or off. This old batch I discovered is giving me the tingles and making my throat itch so I stopped using it.

[lheugh]

Eric Helms doesn't believe it has any beneficial use for individuals training for strength as he posits its only potential utility is in strenuous efforts of at least a minute in duration. He thinks you'd have to be doing 15+ reps a set to have any potential effect and even then it seems a bit hand-wavy.

[Mugaaz]

Just a thought experiment. If taking some supplement was 100% proven to add 2 lbs to your lifts after taking it 4 weeks. Would you really be able to tell based on anecdotal evidence and nothing else?

[hackerhercules]

Beta Alanine helps with endurance to a very small amount, like a couple extra reps during high rep work at best (probably studied in untrained populations). Gets converted into carnosine and helps manage pH levels and lactic acid damage.

Have to take it like 6g daily in split doses, because the carriers can get overloaded and you'll piss most of it out. Also takes several weeks to build up in the body iirc (don't quote me on this). Don't take it if you drink Red Bull or supplement taurine, because it competes for the same carrier/receptor/whatever.

I've noticed a difference, but I'm also prone to getting exhausted very quickly because I'm a fatty.

[AaronM]

It's fun to experiment with all the magic potions though. Right now I'm taking citrulline malate which as far as I can tell also does nothing.

I took that with one other supplement (forget what it was), and I got stupid pumps from it, like painful pumps. My arm pumped measurements went up 1/2-3/4" on that stuff. I think I was taking 6g/day of the stuff? Don't recommend doing LBBS or deadlifts on it though

IMO, I think 99% of supplements on the market are useless, but, I bet folks that hang around bodybuilding.com get a good yescebo effect. If a hyped-up massively advertised supplement tells you that you will do 1 more rep with it, and you believe it's true, then you will probably get the positive result it advertises right? I know dudes who when they were younger were convinced that creatine was a steroid, and so they ended up making big gains on their lifts because they believed they would.

[thejosef]

From:
https://examine.com/supplements/beta-alanine/

"The lone meta-analysis suggests a small benefit: a median 2.85% increase in muscular endurance when exercising for 60-240 s (usually measured by time to exhaustion)."

"Somewhat effective at reducing fatigue and, secondary to that, at improving time to exhaustion."

But yeah, nothing mind-blowing. I take it b/c it comes in my favorite pre-workout, but I mostly do lower rep sets nowadays, so can't say I notice it much. Though I did smoke a 20-minute WOD (pull-ups, air squats, push-ups) against my buddy the other day.. one that I was previously Very gassed on.. so maybe it does do something....

[BenM]

I bought some separately because I liked the tingles it gave me (in PWO) but didn’t necessarily always want to take it with a big dose of caffeine.

I’m not sure it does anything physically but it does kinda help to get a bit more mentally amped for a session.

[Allentown]

IMO, I think 99% of supplements on the market are useless, but, I bet folks that hang around bodybuilding.com get a good yescebo effect. If a hyped-up massively advertised supplement tells you that you will do 1 more rep with it, and you believe it's true, then you will probably get the positive result it advertises right? I know dudes who when they were younger were convinced that creatine was a steroid, and so they ended up making big gains on their lifts because they believed they would.

See Austin's recent instant grahams posts on placebo injections in runners. I might start downing those BCAAs I have before a workout just for the placebo effect. Though, my sessions have been pretty easy recently. Perhaps I can get through them faster?

[Murelli]

See Austin's recent instant grahams posts on placebo injections in runners. I might start downing those BCAAs I have before a workout just for the placebo effect. Though, my sessions have been pretty easy recently. Perhaps I can get through them faster?

You have to believe it's gonna work.

[slowmotion]

You have to believe it's gonna work.

That probably goes for most of those supplements, I guess.

[Stenson]

I would have to think the placebo effect of Beta alanine is even more apparent than other supplements, since you can actually feel something when you take it.

Does it have any effect for strength or hypertrophy outcomes? I don't know for sure, but it's cheap so I'll continue taking it