Mixed
Chronic β-alanine supplementation (3.2–6.4 g/day for 4+ weeks) significantly improves exercise capacity and performance, with the greatest benefit observed in high-intensity exercise lasting 1–10 minutes.
If you engage in high-intensity exercise lasting between 1 and 10 minutes (like rowing, swimming, or interval training), taking 3.2 to 6.4 grams of β-alanine daily for at least 4 weeks can improve your performance. The benefit is most pronounced in 'capacity' tests (going to exhaustion) rather than 'performance' tests (time trials with pacing). For very short sprints or long-distance aerobic events, this supplement is unlikely to help.
A significant overall effect size of 0.18 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.28) was shown. Meta-regression demonstrated that exercise duration significantly (p=0.004) moderated effect sizes... greater effect sizes for exercise capacity (0.4998 (95% CI 0.246 to 0.753)) versus performance (0.1078 (95% CI −0.201 to 0.416)).
Why this rating
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 studies with 1461 participants, using double-blinded, placebo-controlled designs.
Source
β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Bryan Saunders et al. · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 2016
DOI 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096396
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
- Severely protein-deficient diets (2–3% energy) induce lean body mass loss and metabolic imbalance, whereas adequate protein intake (0.66 g/kg/d minimum) is a prerequisite for maintaining muscle, bone, and physiological function.Strong
- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →