Beta-alanine is a useful supplement for improving endurance exercise performance.
Creatine improves high-intensity exercise performance by increasing the amount of ATP available for the muscles.
Beta-alanine and creatine have been proven to improve exercise performance, strength, and lean muscle mass.
When they're combined, they have a synergistic effect which increases its effectiveness.
Table of Contents:
What is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring chemical present in your body's cells. It is found in greater quantities in your muscle cells - about 95% of creatine is located in your muscles, with the remaining 5% found in your brain, liver, and kidneys. (1)
It is similar to amino acids in that your body may generate creatine from the amino acids glycine and arginine.
This supplement is widely used by fitness enthusiasts, bodybuilders, and other athletes.
Creatine supplementation increases your body's phosphocreatine reserves. Phosphocreatine is a kind of stored energy that aids in the production of ATP, your body's primary energy source.
You may perform better when your body has more ATP. Several variables affect your body's natural creatine production. (1)
These extra creatine stores result in more energy available for muscle cells, improving strength and exercise performance.
What is Beta-Alanine?
The amino acid alanine has been modified to become beta-alanine.
Beta-alanine has been proven to be helpful as a pre-workout supplement; when consumed, it changes to a molecule known as carnosine, which works as an acidity buffer inside the body.
Carnosine is held inside cells and released when the body's pH lowers.
Increased carnosine reserves may guard against diet-induced pH dips, such as those seen during ketosis, as well as exercise-induced lactic acid generation, which is responsible for that searing sensation you experience throughout a set!
Beta-alanine helps improve endurance performance.
Should You Combine the Supplements?
There have been many studies conducted on the efficacy of creatine and beta-alanine when taken separately.
However, research on the efficacy of combining these two supplements have shown some extremely encouraging findings.
These findings indicate that the effects are greater when taken together, than when taken alone. (2)
According to one study, individuals who supplemented with creatine and beta-alanine improved their body composition.
Beta-alanine and creatine increased muscle mass and reduced body fat considerably more than those who supplemented with creatine alone or those who took a placebo. (2)
How to Combine Them?
The advantages of supplementing with beta-alanine increase over time.
This is usually not the case since the body usually adapts to supplements and their efficacy decreases, beta-alanine is different.
Consuming 4-6 grams of beta-alanine raises carnosine levels by more than 50% in 4 weeks, according to research.
Carnosine levels have been found to rise even higher after another month of treatment.
As a consequence, it's worth exploring a supplement regimen that combines at least 4-6 grams of beta-alanine with 3-10 grams of creatine over a 12-week period.
Overall, combining creatine and beta-alanine is a great supplement combination with some promising research behind it.
Summary
When beta-alanine and creatine are taken together, the efficacy of these supplements may be increased significantly.
Combining 4-6 grams of beta-alanine with with 3-10 grams of creatine is an effective dosage.
It may be more effective to split beta-alanine into 2-4 doses since it has a time-sensitive impact, 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after your workout is a good start.
Written by Billy White
Billy White is a qualified Kinesiologist and Personal Trainer. He is an aspiring bodybuilder, fitness enthusiast, and health and fitness researcher.
He has multiple years of experience within the fitness, bodybuilding and health space. He is committed to providing the highest-quality information.
Further Reading
References
This section contains links to research, studies, and sources of information for this article, as well as authors, contributors, etc. All sources, along with the article and facts, are subjected to a series of quality, reliability, and relevance checks.
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This evidence-based analysis of the combination of creatine and beta-alanine features 2 references, listed below.
1. Persky AM, Brazeau GA. Clinical pharmacology of the dietary supplement creatine monohydrate. Pharmacol Rev. (2001, Jun) (Review) ✔
2. Hoffman, Jay & Ratamess, Nicholas & Kang, Jie & Mangine, Gerald & Faigenbaum, Avery & Stout, Jeffrey. Effect of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine responses in strength/power athletes. J of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. (2006)
✔ Citations with a tick indicate the information is from a trusted source.
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