Sunday, December 23, 2012

Supplement Insight~ BETA ALANINE for the endurance athlete


Beta Alanine (BA) is an amino acid which is converted by the body into Carnosine.  The benefit of increased Carnosine for endurance athletes is a buffering effect on lactic acid and therefore reduced fatigue in working muscles, especially during interval training, sprints and hill climbs.
Carnosine buffers hydrogen ions, thus lowering acidity – necessary for the balance between production and elimination of lactic acid; it accounts for up to 30% of the pH buffering capacity of the body.

 Ingestion of beta-alanine for four to eight weeks has been shown to elevate muscle Carnosine by up to 65% (Pottier 2007, Harris 2006, Hill 2007). This means the body is capable of buffering more hydrogen and eliminating more lactic acid, the end result for an athlete is an improved lactate threshold.
Beta-alanine supplements should be consumed daily (6g/day) during heavy training blocks for a minimum of four weeks. The buffering effects can be expected to slowly increase from the beginning of training, and sustained throughout the entire training block. Using this supplementation strategy to improve interval workouts or threshold training workouts is the best method to achieve a lasting physiological change that can be carried over into races.
 
At Evelyn Faye you can get BA in capsule or powder form starting from just $17… worth a try!

 

No comments:

Post a Comment