Beta Alanine?

Beta alanine is classified as a non essential amino acid and is the one and only naturally occurring beta type of amino acid. Unlike the regular amino acid alanine, beta alanine is not considered a building block of protein.
The most natural way to get your beta alanine is through eating protein rich foods such as red meats, chicken, pork and seafood.
With literally hundreds of different supplements available and so many that are based on bogus claims and ridiculous hype, it’s a challenge to find even one that delivers results. If you’ve rummaged through the garbage of the supplement scrap heap, you know how difficult it is to find solid science or real-world proof.
Beta-alanine is an exception. This supplement actually lives up to its claims. Beta-alanine efficacy is backed by major university, peer-reviewed studies performed on humans, not the typical cell or rat studies upon which many generally base claims. The science behind beta-alanine makes sense and it works. Used properly, beta-alanine can take your training and results to new levels, helping you set personal records and add lean mass.

Although only recently brought to the forefront, beta-alanine was discovered over 100 years ago. Also known as 3-aminopropanoic acid, it is a non-essential amino acid and is the only naturally occurring beta-amino acid. Not to be confused with alanine, beta- alanine is classified as a non-proteinogenic amino acid as it is not used in the building of proteins.

The greatest natural dietary sources of beta-alanine are believed to be obtained through ingesting the beta-alanine containing dipeptides: carnosine, anserine and balenine, rather than directly ingesting beta-alanine. These dipeptides are commonly found in protein rich foods such as chicken, beef, pork and fish. However, obtaining beta-alanine through these dipeptides is not the only way, as our bodies can synthesize it in the liver from the catabolism of pyrimidine nucleotides which are broken down into uracil and thymine and then metabolized into beta-alanine and B-aminoisobutyrate. Of course, it can also be ingested through direct supplementation which is the focus of this article.
Recently, researchers began studying beta-alanine and examining its effects on exercise performance and lean body mass. One of the key scientists pioneering the performance research on beta-alanine is Dr. Roger Harris. His name may or may not sound familiar, but it should, as he is the same man that brought creatine to the bodybuilding world with his groundbreaking study in 1992. It looks like the good doctor has found another juggernaut of a supplement in beta-alanine. However, he is not alone. In the last two years, highly respected research scientist Dr.Jeffrey Stout has been in a frenzy publishing and compiling research on beta-alanine and doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon. Other notable researchers who have been publishing research on beta-alanine include Dr. Hill, Dr. Kim and Dr. Tallon