Beta-Alanine, Muscle Gain, and Weight Loss
Beta-alanine is an amino acid. Your body uses amino acids as building blocks to form the proteins that make up the tissues in the body. This amino acid is also one of the main ingredients included in the popular weight loss supplement PS1000. Understanding how beta-alanine works in the body will make it clearer how this amino acid may be beneficial for increasing muscle mass and weight loss.
Increases Muscle Mass Even During Weight Loss
When people lose weight, it tends to cause decreases in not only body fat but also muscle mass. However, those taking beta-alanine tend to experience increases in muscle mass with high intensity interval training even during weight loss because the beta-alanine helps to preserve their existing muscle mass while they lose weight. Strength training during weight loss will also help to preserve lean muscle mass as you lose weight.
Increases Muscle Strength
Of course, your muscles won’t get stronger by taking beta-alanine supplements alone, but taking the PS1000 supplement, in combination with strength training, can lead to increases in muscle strength more quickly than participating in strength training alone according to one study.
Decreases Muscle Fatigue
As you perform high intensity exercise, your body tends to produce acids that make your muscles feel fatigued. Beta-alanine is one of the precursors of carnosine, which helps to buffer this acid so you can continue high intensity workouts for a longer period of time without becoming overly fatigued. In one study, participants who took beta-alanine supplements were able to improve their performance in sprinting by more than 20 percent, while those not taking the supplement experienced a decline in their sprinting performance levels.
Increases Endurance
Not only does beta-alanine help improve endurance during cardio workouts, it can also do so during weight training. This amino acid may help you complete a few more reps or sets before you start feeling too tired to keep going, which means you can up your training volume and thus get increases in muscle mass faster.
Increases Muscle Hypertrophy
Muscle hypertrophy is the increase in muscle size, which is what body builders want when they’re trying to bulk up. Taking beta-alanine appears to help increase muscle growth while participating in bulking exercises. This is most likely partly due to the ability of beta-alanine to decrease muscle fatigue, allowing the body to train for longer.
Increases VO2 Max
VO2 max is the abbreviation indicating the maximum amount of oxygen that your body can use. Having a higher VO2 max means you’ll be able to work out more intensely and for a longer time. A study showed that supplementing with beta-alanine made it possible for people to increase their VO2 max threshold and get to this point during exercise more quickly.
Increases Energy Levels
Another potential effect of beta-alanine supplementation is an increase in energy levels that can last for up to 2 hours combined with an increase in the ability to focus. This is a great way to counteract the low energy levels that sometimes come along with reducing carbohydrate and calorie intake during a weight loss diet, such as the ps1000 diet, and get your workout in. However, just be aware that you may then have less energy after the workout is over.
Keeps You Clear Headed During Intense Activities
People who like to do physical activities that require them to stay sharp and think quickly on their feet, including combat soldiers and those who do obstacle course races, may want to consider beta-alanine supplements. Some research shows that carnosine is increased in the brain, which can improve cognitive function and performance during intense physical activities.
May Increase Weight and Fat Loss
Because beta-alanine allows you to exercise more and build more muscle mass, it can result in an increase in weight loss. Exercising longer means you burn more calories overall, which is one potential mechanism for increased weight loss. The other is the increase in muscle mass that often comes when people strength train while taking beta-alanine supplements, as a pound of muscle takes more energy for the body to maintain than a pound of fat. Thus, increased muscle mass means more calories burned even when you’re at rest and an increase in your metabolic rate.
Can Work Even Better in Combination With Creatine
Creatine is one of the better known supplements used by people who want to build muscle and get stronger. Some research shows that taking beta-alanine along with creatine will lead to greater increases in muscle mass and greater deceases in body fat levels with resistance training than taking either supplement alone. This may be because each of these supplements targets a different anaerobic energy system, with beta-alanine augmenting what’s known as the glycolytic system and increasing its capacity while creatine does the same for the phosphagen system.
Take Beta-Alanine With Food
Take your beta-alanine supplement along with food of some type, as it seems that at least 20 percent more beta-alanine reaches your muscles if you take it along with some combination of food that contains both protein and carbohydrates.
Take Supplements Consistently
While many people take beta-alanine as a pre-workout supplement, it can be taken at any time, but needs to be taken consistently for the best results. It can take up to four weeks for the full results of beta-alanine supplementation to become apparent. If you’re taking beta-alanine in the popular PS1000 supplement, taking it at the prescribed times will help your consistency.
Combine With Improvements in Diet and Exercise
As with any dieting supplement, you need to make changes in your diet and increase the amount of exercise you get for the best results. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of cardio most days of the week and at least two full-body strength training sessions per week, making sure to get at least a day of rest in between the two strength training sessions. Follow a reduced-calorie diet that includes plenty of protein.
Be Aware of Potential Side Effects
The main side effect people report when taking large doses of beta-alanine is a harmless tingling in the hands, face, or neck. The dosage is low enough in the PS1000 supplement as to not cause this side effect for many individuals.
