Known as a rate limiting amino acid, Beta-Alanine is responsible for increasing intramuscular Carnosine. Carnosine, which is a naturally occurring di-peptide, is biosynthesized naturally in the body by the utilisation of both Beta-Alanine and Histidine.
Despite being a di-peptide, Beta Alanine is the sole limiting amino acid for improving the abundance and creation of intramuscular Carnosine. Thus, supplementing with Beta-Alanine will improve Carnosine levels more effectively than using Histidine or even Carnosine itself.
Users of Beta Alanine experience an increase in endurance capacity due to an improved ability to buffer and remove hydrogen ions, which accumulate as a result of lactic acid.
During high-intensity exercise, when lactic acid accumulation outweighs the ability of the heart to remove it fast enough, this is known as the lactate threshold.
Beta Alanine supplementation has been linked to an increase in lactate threshold, resulting in an improved exercise intensity potential. By increasing the lactate threshold, Beta Alanine users can work harder for a longer period of time and have been shown to improve performance by increasing intensity without generating fatigue.