Enhancing and supporting beta-alanine’s ability to increase carnosine levels

Are there any methods that may increase beta-alanine’s ability to increase carnosine levels?


Yes, there are atleast two ways:

  1. A recent study showed that a group of subjects taking beta-alanine with carbohydrates increased performance gains in half the time as the group taking an equal amount of beta-alanine without carbohydrates. Carbohydrates spike insulin and one of insulin’s effects is to increase amino acid (such as beta-alanine) transport into our cells.
  2. Taking beta-alanine pre-workout and post-workout may increase the uptake of beta-alanine into our muscles. Amino acid nutrient timing studies have clearly shown when amino acids are ingested pre-workout and post-workout, their delivery and uptake into our muscles is increased. The improved uptake is largely due to increased blood flow during exercise. If you don’t find the prickling bothersome during your workouts, we suggest you take advantage of these two key windows of opportunity to maximize intramuscular beta-alanine uptake.

By combining the two above strategies, you will experience greater beta-alanine uptake, leading to faster performance increases.

Are there any ingredients that work well with beta-alanine and support intracellular carnosine?

Yes. One of carnosine’s attributes beyond stabilizing pH, is its ability to act as an intracellular antioxidant that can fight cellular fatigue. So pairing up beta-alanine with other ingredients that boost another powerful intracellular antioxidant called glutathione. In doing so, we have yet another powerful way to further fight cellular fatigue. With the knowledge that carnosine has antioxidant effects, please read below on why certain ingredients work perfectly with beta-alanine supplementation.

  1. N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) – NAC increases glutathione levels inside the cell which is a power antioxidant that fights cellular fatigue. Interestingly beta-alanine has now been shown to increase the synthesis of glutathione by increasing the availability of its precursor cysteine. Beta-Alanine and NAC work perfectly together.
  2. Vitamin E – Vitamin E has been shown to increase carnosine levels more than carnsoine alone. Carnosine has been shown to increases Vitamin E antioxidant ability. These two operate hand in hand.
  3. Alpha-Lipoic-Acid – alpha-lipoic-acid is a highly versatile antioxidant that boosts the above other two antioxidants, vitamin E and the end result of NAC supplementation, glutathione.