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Beta-alanine for runners: what's being used and what the research says

We report what runners are using and what the research says. We don't recommend taking any supplement. Talk to your GP or a registered sports dietitian before trying one.

Quick answer

Beta-alanine raises carnosine, an acid buffer inside muscle, over weeks of daily intake[1]. Research suggests a small benefit, mainly in hard efforts of about 1 to 4 minutes[1][2][3]. In runners, 800 m times improved in one trial[4], while a 5000 m trial found no significant difference[5].

Research
Emerging (proposed)Some benefit in hard efforts of about 1 to 4 minutes. Little evidence for longer running.
Proposed by our editor; not yet confirmed by an expert reviewer.
WADA status
Permitted
Distances in the research
800 m–5K: studied10K–half: limited researchMarathon: not studiedUltra: not studied

What is beta-alanine?

Beta-alanine is an amino acid the body makes for itself. In muscle it joins with another amino acid, histidine, to form carnosine, and the supply of beta-alanine limits how much carnosine the muscle can make[1][6].

Food provides it indirectly. In the diet, carnosine comes from meat and fish, such as beef, pork and poultry[1], while balanced vegetarian diets contain almost none[7]. Taking carnosine itself is described as an inefficient way to raise muscle carnosine, because it is broken down before it reaches muscle; supplements instead supply beta-alanine, the building block that limits carnosine production[1].

Supplements come as plain beta-alanine and as sustained-release tablets, which release it more slowly into the blood[8]. It is also a common ingredient in multi-ingredient pre-workout products, which typically contain 2 to 4 g taken as a single serving before training[1].

The Australian Institute of Sport lists it in Group A of its supplement framework: supplements with strong scientific evidence for use in specific situations in sport, using evidence-based protocols[9].

Also called: β-alanine.

Why is beta-alanine getting attention?

A 2019 safety review describes beta-alanine as one of the world's most commonly used sports supplements[10]; within a decade of the first human study in 2006, it was in nearly every pre-workout formula[1]. Use varies by sport. Among 135 US college cross-country runners, men reported more use of amino acids and beta-alanine than women (6.2% v 0%)[11]. In 659 Polish athletes from many sports, 23.1% of men and 13.3% of women used it[12], as did about 61% of 570 Australian professional footballers, most of them not in the way guidelines describe[13].

Sports bodies take it seriously. The international athletics federation's 2019 consensus lists it among the evidence-based supplements for athletics, alongside caffeine, bicarbonate, nitrate and creatine, with value specific to each event[14]. The IOC's 2018 consensus statement names a few supplements with enough support to suggest marginal performance gains may be possible, and says beta-alanine possibly belongs among them[3].

Much of the talk is about the tingling. Paraesthesia is its most widely known side effect[1], and some athletes read it as a sign the supplement is working. In 8 competitive cyclists, a single dose caused obvious tingling and reports of more energy, but did not clearly improve a 1 km time trial[15].

The claims, checked against the research

  • Lasting longer in hard 1 to 4 minute effortsSupported

    Meta-analyses find the clearest benefit in tests taken to exhaustion[2][16]. In the first, the effect was largest in efforts of 60 to 240 seconds[2]. Across all studies the average effect size was 0.18[16], and the IOC describes the benefit as small but potentially meaningful[3].

  • Faster 800 m racesMixed

    In 18 male club runners, 800 m times improved by about 2.5% after 28 days, against 0.4% with a placebo[4]. In 400 m sprinters, 4 weeks raised muscle carnosine but did not change race time[17], and treadmill runs to exhaustion lasting about 2 to 5 minutes showed no effect[18].

  • Faster 5K and 10K timesMixed

    In 16 long-distance runners, 4 weeks brought no significant improvement in a 5000 m time trial[5]. In 16 recreational male runners, 10 km times improved significantly more with beta-alanine than with a placebo, though times after supplementation did not differ significantly between the groups[19].

  • Faster sprints under a minuteNot supported

    The first meta-analysis found no benefit in exercise lasting under 60 seconds[2]. The ISSN notes no effect on repeated short sprints, and a trial in 400 m sprinters found no change in race time[1][17].

  • Higher VO2 maxNot supported

    In adolescent runners, VO2peak barely changed over 4 weeks of beta-alanine; it differed from placebo only because it fell in the placebo group, and the authors found no evidence of an increase[20]. A meta-analysis of trials in women found no clear pooled effect on VO2max or VO2peak[21].

  • More benefit alongside bicarbMixed

    Combined with sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine had the largest effect against placebo in one meta-analysis[16], and another found a benefit only for the combination[22]. The ISSN describes any added effect as modest and often not statistically significant[1].

  • Better marathon and ultra performanceNot studied

    We found no trials in marathon or ultra runners. The ISSN says research on efforts beyond about 25 minutes is limited and does not show a consistent benefit[1].

How does beta-alanine work?

Hard running produces acid, in the form of hydrogen ions, inside working muscle. Carnosine soaks up some of that acid inside the muscle cell itself, where bicarbonate works in the blood outside it[1]. Estimates of carnosine's share of muscle buffering range from as much as 40% in animals to as little as 7% in humans[1].

Muscle makes carnosine from beta-alanine and histidine, and the supply of beta-alanine is the limit[6]. Muscle has no carnosinase, the enzyme that breaks carnosine down, so carnosine built up there is stable and falls only slowly once supplements stop[23].

That is why beta-alanine works over weeks, not hours. In one study muscle carnosine rose by about 59% after 4 weeks and 80% after 10 weeks[6]. Only about 3% of an ingested dose ends up as muscle carnosine; most is broken down elsewhere in the body[24]. Across daily amounts of 1.6 to 3.2 g, the rise depended on the total amount taken, not on the daily amount or the starting level[25].

How high muscle carnosine can go is not yet known[26]. In a 24-week trial, carnosine kept climbing until about week 20[27], and a dose-response analysis suggests common protocols may not come close to filling muscle stores[26]. Carnosine may have other roles, for example as an antioxidant, but most of that evidence comes from laboratory and animal work[1].

Does beta-alanine help runners?

Research suggests a small benefit in hard efforts of about 1 to 4 minutes, with little evidence for longer running[1][16][3]. The largest meta-analysis, of 40 studies and 1,461 people, found a significant overall effect (effect size 0.18) that was clearer for tests to exhaustion than for time trials[16]. Running trials are few and small, and their results differ[4][5][19].

800 m to 5K (Studied)

After 28 days, male club runners' 800 m race times improved by about 2.5% with beta-alanine, against 0.4% with a placebo; 9 runners in each group[4]. In 15 sprint-trained men, 4 weeks raised calf-muscle carnosine by 37% to 47% but did not change 400 m race time[17].

In 50 recreationally trained men and women, beta-alanine had no effect on treadmill runs to exhaustion lasting about 2 to 5 minutes[18]. In adolescent middle- and long-distance runners, time to exhaustion in a treadmill test rose 6.5% with beta-alanine, against 1.4% with a placebo, a small difference between groups that was not statistically significant[20].

In 16 long-distance runners, four weeks of beta-alanine brought no significant improvement in a 5000 m time trial[5].

10K to half marathon (Limited research)

We found one small trial of a 10 km run. In 16 recreational male runners, 10 km times fell by about 169 seconds after 23 days of beta-alanine, against about 54 seconds with a placebo, a significantly larger improvement; but times after supplementation did not differ significantly between the groups, and muscle carnosine was not measured[19].

We found no trials at the half marathon distance. The ISSN says more research is needed on efforts longer than about 25 minutes[1].

Marathon (Not studied)

We found no trials in marathon runners. In cycling studies described by the ISSN, 8 weeks of beta-alanine did not improve a test lasting about 50 minutes, and a 1-hour time trial did not improve after 6 weeks despite higher muscle carnosine[1].

Ultra (Not studied)

We found no trials in ultra runners. The ISSN says research beyond about 25 minutes is limited and does not show a consistent benefit[1].

Study by study

The main studies on this page. What they took is what the study gave, not advice for any individual.
StudyWho took partWhat they tookWhat was measuredWhat they found
Saunders 2017 [16]Meta-analysis40 placebo-controlled studies, 1,461 healthy peopleMeta-analysis of daily beta-alanine for weeks; crossover trials excluded70 measures of exercise capacity and performanceSignificant overall effect (0.18), shaped by exercise duration; in 30 s to 10 min efforts, clearer for capacity than performance tests; largest with bicarbonate (0.43). Training status and total dose made no difference.
Hobson 2012 [2]Meta-analysis15 studies, 360 people; 3 studies included womenMeta-analysis; median total intake 179 g57 exercise measures, grouped by effort durationMedian 2.85% improvement. Benefit at 60 to 240 seconds, smaller beyond 240, none under 60. Capacity tests improved; performance tests did not.
Gu 2026 [21]Meta-analysis11 randomised trials, 312 womenMeta-analysis of beta-alanine v placebo or control in womenTime to exhaustion, VO2max, peak power, anaerobic performance, body fatLonger time to exhaustion (SMD 0.49; 8 trials); no clear effect on other outcomes. Certainty very low for every outcome.
Curran-Bowen 2024 [22]Meta-analysis10 studies, 243 healthy adultsMeta-analysis of beta-alanine, sodium bicarbonate, or bothExercise capacity and performanceNo clear effect of beta-alanine (SMD 0.18) or bicarbonate (0.17) alone; a benefit from the combination (0.32).Funding: One author has had research funding and free supplements from a beta-alanine maker, which had no input into this review.
Dolan 2019 [10]Meta-analysis101 human and 50 animal studiesSystematic risk assessment and meta-analysis of oral beta-alanineSide effects, dropouts, blood markers, muscle taurine and histidineTingling the only reported side effect (odds ratio 8.9); similar dropouts; small ALT rise within reference ranges; no change in muscle taurine or histidine.Funding: One author previously had a scholarship from a beta-alanine maker, which had no input into this review.
Ducker 2013 [4]Randomised controlled trial18 male recreational club runners (9 per group)80 mg per kg of body mass a day, or placebo, for 28 days800 m track race, twice before and twice after2.46% faster after beta-alanine v 0.37% with placebo (p = 0.02). No difference in post-race blood lactate or pH.
Derave 2007 [17]Randomised controlled trial15 male 400 m sprint-trained athletes4.8 g a day or placebo for 4 weeksCalf carnosine (MRS scan), knee-extension fatigue, isometric endurance, 400 m race timeCarnosine up 37% to 47%; less fatigue in late knee-extension bouts; no change in isometric endurance or 400 m time.
Smith-Ryan 2012 [18]Randomised controlled trial50 recreationally trained men and women1.6 g three times a day (4.8 g a day) or placeboTreadmill runs to exhaustion at 90% to 110% of peak speed; critical velocityNo significant effect, including on runs lasting about 2 to 5 minutes, in men or women.
Marko 2025 [20]Randomised controlled trial27 adolescent middle- and long-distance runners (13 boys, 14 girls), aged 15 to 19; 23 analysed6.4 g a day (boys) or 4.8 g (girls), about 90 mg per kg, with meals for 4 weeks; or placeboTreadmill graded test to exhaustion; VO2peakTime to exhaustion up 6.5% v 1.4% with placebo; the difference was small (d = 0.46) and not significant (p = 0.29). VO2peak barely changed with beta-alanine but fell with placebo.
Franco 2021 [5]Randomised controlled trial16 long-distance runners, mean age 374.8 g a day or placebo for 4 weeks5000 m running time trialNo significant change: 1107 to 1093 seconds with beta-alanine, 1128 to 1123 seconds with placebo.
Santana 2018 [19]Randomised controlled trial16 recreational male runners, 10 km bests of 55 to 65 minutes (8 per group)5 g a day in 3 doses, or placebo, for 23 days, with a set running programme10 km time trial; blood lactateTime fell 169 v 54 seconds with placebo, a significant difference in change (p = 0.007); post-supplement times did not differ significantly between groups. Carnosine not measured.
Saunders 2017 [27]Randomised controlled trial25 active men6.4 g a day of sustained-release beta-alanine, or placebo, for 24 weeksMuscle carnosine (biopsy) and cycling capacity every 4 weeksCarnosine higher at every check, from +11.4 mmol/kg dry muscle at week 4 to +21.2 at week 20; cycling capacity improved. Gains varied widely.
Baguet 2009 [23]Non-randomised trial15 untrained men4.8 g a day or placebo for 5 to 6 weeks, then 9 weeks offCarnosine in 3 leg muscles (MRS scan), loading and washoutUp 23% to 39%; fell 2% to 4% a week after stopping; baseline after about 9 weeks on average (6 in low responders, 15 in high).

The key studies, in order

  1. 2007Trial15 male 400 m athletes, 4.8 g a day for 4 weeks: calf carnosine up 37-47%; less fatigue in repeated knee extensions; 400 m race time unchanged. [17]
  2. 2007Non-randomised trialMuscle carnosine up 58.8% at 4 weeks and 80.1% at 10 weeks; high-intensity cycling work up 13.0% at 4 weeks and a further 3.2% at 10. [6]
  3. 2009Non-randomised trial15 untrained men, 4.8 g a day for 5-6 weeks: carnosine up 23-39%, then fell 2-4% a week; back to baseline in 6 to 15 weeks depending on the response. [23]
  4. 2011Trial20 people, 5 weeks of sprint training on a vegetarian or mixed diet: sprint training did not change muscle carnosine. [29]
  5. 2011Observational study149 healthy adults: men had 28-82% more muscle carnosine than women, depending on the muscle; vegetarians had 26% less in the calf; soleus carnosine was lower in older people. [28]
  6. 2012Trial11 adults, single 1.6 g dose: slow-release tablets gave a lower blood peak and no more tingling than placebo; the pure solution caused pins and needles peaking at about 15 minutes. [8]
  7. 2012Meta-analysis15 studies, 360 people: median 2.85% improvement; benefit in efforts of 60-240 s, smaller over 240 s, none under 60 s; capacity tests improved, performance tests did not. [2]
  8. 2012Trial24 women, 4.8 g a day: no significant effect on time to exhaustion, ventilatory threshold or oxidative stress after a 40-minute run; effort ratings at 40 minutes improved. [31]
  9. 2012Trial50 recreationally trained men and women, 4.8 g a day: no effect on treadmill runs to exhaustion lasting about 2 to 5 minutes, critical velocity or anaerobic running capacity. [18]
  10. 2012Trial31 young men, 1.6-3.2 g a day for 8 weeks: carnosine rose within 2 weeks; the rise depended on the total amount taken; washout about 2% a week. [25]
  11. 2013Trial18 male recreational club runners: after 28 days at 80 mg per kg a day, 800 m race times improved by about 2.5% with beta-alanine and 0.4% with placebo. [4]
  12. 2013Non-randomised trialOnly about 3% of beta-alanine became muscle carnosine; soleus carnosine loading was more efficient with meals (+64%) than between them (+41%); sustained-release and plain forms worked about equally. [24]
  13. 2015Consensus4-6 g a day for 2-4 weeks raises muscle carnosine; clearest benefits in efforts of 1-4 minutes; tingling is the only reported side effect; more research needed beyond 25 minutes. [1]
  14. 2016Trial8 competitive cyclists, randomised single-blind crossover, single 30 mg per kg dose: clear tingling and reports of more energy, but no clear improvement in 1 km time-trial performance. [15]
  15. 2017Trial18 men and 12 women: sustained-release 12 g a day for 2 weeks and 6 g a day for 4 weeks both raised muscle carnosine, with no difference in tingling. [34]
  16. 2017Survey570 Australian professional footballers: about 61% used beta-alanine, most not as guidelines describe; only 35% could correctly identify its potential benefits. [13]
  17. 2017Meta-analysis40 studies, 1,461 people: a significant overall effect (0.18), shaped by exercise duration; in 30 s to 10 min efforts, clearer for exercise capacity than for performance; largest when combined with bicarbonate. [16]
  18. 2017Trial25 active men, 6.4 g a day sustained-release for 24 weeks: carnosine higher at every 4-weekly check; high-intensity cycling capacity improved. [27]
  19. 2018Trial40 women over 6 months: a vegetarian diet did not change muscle carnosine; adding low-dose beta-alanine (0.8 to 0.4 g a day) with creatine raised it. [7]
  20. 2018ConsensusNames caffeine, creatine, nitrate, sodium bicarbonate and possibly beta-alanine as having enough support to suggest marginal performance gains. Contamination is a known anti-doping risk. [3]
  21. 2018Trial20 vegetarian men: 12 weeks of high-intensity interval cycling raised muscle carnosine from 15.8 to 20.6 mmol/kg dry muscle, with no change in controls. [30]
  22. 2018Trial16 recreational male runners, 5 g a day for 23 days: 10 km time fell 169 s v 54 s with placebo, a significant difference in change; times after supplementation did not differ significantly between groups. [19]
  23. 2019ConsensusEvidence-based supplements for athletics include caffeine, bicarbonate, beta-alanine, nitrate and creatine, with value specific to each event. [14]
  24. 2019Meta-analysis101 human and 50 animal studies: tingling the only reported side effect (odds ratio 8.9 v placebo); dropouts similar; a small ALT rise within reference ranges; no change in muscle taurine. [10]
  25. 2019Trial11 endurance athletes, crossover, one 30 mg per kg dose 60 minutes before: longer time running at maximal aerobic speed; distance covered not significantly different. [35]
  26. 2020Meta-analysisMuscle can store far more carnosine than common protocols provide; neither starting level nor sex changed the response; 99.3% of 99 people responded. [26]
  27. 2021Survey135 US college cross-country runners: 78.5% used supplements regularly; men reported more use of amino acids and beta-alanine than women (6.2% v 0%). [11]
  28. 2021Meta-analysisIndividual data from 4 cycling studies: time to exhaustion rose 7.7 s on average; performance changes varied as much with placebo, while carnosine gains varied between people. [33]
  29. 2021Trial16 long-distance runners, 4 weeks: no significant improvement in a 5000 m time trial. [5]
  30. 2024Meta-analysis10 studies, 243 people: no clear effect of beta-alanine (SMD 0.18) or bicarbonate alone; a benefit when the two were combined (SMD 0.32). [22]
  31. 2025Survey659 Polish athletes: 91.1% used supplements; beta-alanine use was reported by 23.1% of men and 13.3% of women. [12]
  32. 2025Trial27 adolescent middle- and long-distance runners (13 boys, 14 girls; 23 analysed), 4 weeks: time to exhaustion rose 6.5% v 1.4% with placebo, a small difference that was not significant; VO2peak barely changed with beta-alanine. [20]
  33. 2026Meta-analysis11 randomised trials, 312 women: longer time to exhaustion (SMD 0.49); no clear effect on VO2max, peak power, anaerobic performance or body fat; certainty of evidence very low. [21]

Who has the research been done in?

Most beta-alanine research has been done in young men, often on cycle ergometers rather than in runners[1][19]. Only 3 of the 15 studies in the first meta-analysis included women, all using efforts over 4 minutes[2]. The multi-week running trials had 15 to 50 people each: male club runners, sprint-trained men, recreationally trained men and women, and adolescents[4][17][18][20].

Training status did not change the effect in the largest meta-analysis[16], although the IOC says the benefit appears harder to realise in well-trained athletes[3]. The ISSN notes reduced neuromuscular fatigue in trials lasting 12 weeks and 90 days in older adults, average age about 71 and 73, but these were not running studies[1]. In a trial in adolescent runners, aged 15 to 19, time to exhaustion rose more with beta-alanine than with placebo, but the difference was small and not statistically significant[20].

People start from different carnosine levels: women, older people and vegetarians tend to have less[28]. The ISSN linked differences in response partly to starting levels and muscle fibre type, and reported larger gains in vegetarians[1], but a later pooled analysis found neither starting level nor sex changed the rise, and 99.3% of 99 people responded[26]. Training alone has had mixed effects: 5 weeks of sprint training did not change muscle carnosine[29], while 12 weeks of high-intensity interval cycling raised it in vegetarian men[30].

What we know about women

Women have less muscle carnosine than men on average: in 149 adults, men had 28% to 82% more, depending on the muscle[28]. Supplementation still raises it in women, and sex did not change the size of the rise in a pooled analysis[1][26]. A 2026 meta-analysis of 11 randomised trials in 312 women found a longer time to exhaustion but no clear effect on VO2max, peak power, anaerobic performance or body fat, and rated the certainty of all of this evidence as very low[21].

Few trials were in female runners. In 24 women, 4.8 g a day did not significantly change treadmill time to exhaustion, though effort ratings at the end of a 40-minute run improved in the beta-alanine group[31]. The adolescent running trial included 14 girls, who took 4.8 g a day[20]. We found no studies on beta-alanine and the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or breastfeeding. The NHS pregnancy supplements page covers folic acid, vitamin D and iron, does not mention beta-alanine, and advises speaking to a GP about other supplements[32].

What the research can't tell us yet

The first meta-analysis found improvements in capacity tests, where people keep going until exhaustion, but not in performance tests such as time trials and races[2]. The largest meta-analysis found the same pattern in efforts of 30 seconds to 10 minutes[16].

Not every meta-analysis agrees. A 2024 analysis of 10 studies found no clear effect of beta-alanine on its own, only when it was combined with bicarbonate[22]. Running trials have been small, with 8 or 9 people per group in some[4][19], and trials over similar distances disagree[5][19].

Individual responses are hard to judge. An analysis of individual data found that performance changes varied as much with placebo as with beta-alanine, suggesting the spread came from outside factors such as diet, sleep or training rather than the supplement itself[33]. Carnosine gains, by contrast, did vary between people[33][23].

Blinding is a problem: tingling can tell participants they are taking the real supplement[2]. Long-term data are limited. When the ISSN position stand was written there was no safety data beyond 1 year, and the longest trials we found ran for about 6 months[1][27][7]. Several ISSN authors declared supplement-industry funding or roles, including funding for beta-alanine research and co-formulating products that contain it[1].

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How and when is beta-alanine used in studies?

Studies typically used 4 to 6 g a day for at least 2 to 4 weeks, split into servings of 2 g or less, often about 1.6 g, to limit tingling[1]. The median total across the studies in the first meta-analysis was 179 g[2].

Running trials used 80 mg per kg of body mass a day for 28 days[4], 4.8 g a day for 4 weeks[5], 5 g a day for 23 days[19], and about 90 mg per kg a day for 4 weeks in adolescents[20].

Sustained-release tablets have been used to allow larger daily amounts: 6.4 g a day for 24 weeks in one trial[27], and 12 g a day for 2 weeks in another, which raised muscle carnosine, as did 6 g a day for 4 weeks[34]. Over 6 to 7 weeks, sustained-release and plain forms raised carnosine about equally[24].

In the soleus muscle, carnosine loading was more efficient when plain beta-alanine was taken with meals than between them (+64% v +41%)[24]. Within 1.6 to 3.2 g a day, the rise tracked the total amount taken, about 2 mmol per kg of wet muscle for every 100 g[25].

When studies gave it

Studies gave beta-alanine every day for weeks before testing, rather than just before exercise. According to the ISSN, 2 weeks raised muscle carnosine by 20% to 30% and 4 weeks by 40% to 60%[1]; in one trial even 1.6 g a day raised it significantly within 2 weeks[25].

Once supplements stop, carnosine falls slowly, by about 2% to 4% a week. In one study about a third of the gain had gone after 3 weeks, and levels were back to baseline within about 9 weeks on average: 6 weeks in low responders and 15 weeks in high responders[23][25]. The largest meta-analysis left out crossover trials for this reason[16].

A single dose before exercise has little research behind it. The ISSN says single large doses cause tingling and have not improved performance[1]. One small crossover trial in 11 endurance athletes found that a single 30 mg per kg dose, taken 60 minutes before, lengthened a run at maximal aerobic speed, although distance covered did not differ significantly[35].

What studies used. These are research protocols, not advice for any individual.
What studies usedWhenRef.
4 to 6 g a day, in servings of 2 g or less (often about 1.6 g)Every day for at least 2 to 4 weeks[1]
80 mg per kg of body mass a dayFor 28 days before an 800 m race[4]
4.8 g a dayFor 4 weeks before a 5000 m time trial[5]
5 g a day in 3 dosesFor 23 days before a 10 km time trial[19]
6.4 g a day, sustained-releaseFor up to 24 weeks, tested every 4 weeks[27]
12 g a day, sustained-releaseFor 2 weeks, compared with 6 g a day for 4 weeks[34]

What are the side effects, and who should be careful?

Paraesthesia, a pins-and-needles tingling of the skin, was the only side effect reported across 101 human studies. The odds of it were about 9 times higher than with a placebo, and dropout rates were similar[10]. It is usually felt on the face, neck and backs of the hands, and fades within 60 to 90 minutes[1]. The IOC also lists skin rashes as a possible side effect[3].

Tingling depends on the dose and is common after more than 800 mg of the standard form at once[1][8]. In 11 adults, 1.6 g as a sustained-release tablet caused sensations no different from placebo, while the same amount in solution caused pins and needles that peaked at about 15 minutes[8]. In another trial, 12 g a day of a sustained-release form caused no more tingling than 6 g a day or placebo[34]. The ISSN says there is no evidence the tingling is harmful[1].

Blood changes have been small. Beta-alanine caused a slight rise in the liver enzyme ALT, with values staying well within clinical reference ranges[10]. It shares a transporter with taurine; animal studies found lower taurine, but human studies found no change in muscle taurine[1][10]. At 12 g a day, plasma histidine fell[34].

At the amounts studied, it appears safe in healthy people[1]. The safety review concluded that, within the doses used in research, beta-alanine did not adversely affect the people taking it[10].

Medicines and health conditions

We found no NHS or MHRA guidance on beta-alanine, and no studies of interactions with medicines. The ISSN's safety conclusion covers healthy populations[1], so the research does not show how beta-alanine behaves in people with medical conditions or taking regular medicines. The blood changes seen in trials were small[10].

When beta-alanine is combined with sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate brings its own side effects, including headache and stomach upset[1].

Be careful if

  • You dislike tingling skin: it's the common side effect, and single doses above about 800 mg of the standard form make it more likely[1][8].
  • Your races last longer than about 25 minutes: the ISSN says more research is needed on efforts that long[1].
  • You plan to use it before a race: the IOC consensus statement says supplements should be trialled in training first[3].
  • You also use bicarbonate: bicarbonate can cause headaches and stomach upset[1].
  • You have a medical condition or take regular medicines: the safety conclusions cover healthy people[1].
  • You compete under anti-doping rules: supplement products can contain prohibited substances that aren't on the label[3].

Is beta-alanine allowed in competition?

Beta-alanine is not on the World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List, so it is permitted in competition[36].

The anti-doping risk with any supplement product is contamination: products can contain prohibited substances that aren't on the label, and athletes are responsible for anything found in their sample[3].

Independent quality-assurance schemes, often called batch testing, check supplement products for prohibited substances[3]. WADA says using a product from one of these schemes can reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of an anti-doping violation[36], and the IOC says no product can be guaranteed entirely safe[3].

Myth or evidence?

5 things runners hear about beta-alanine. Pick an answer to see what the research says.

  1. 1.Beta-alanine works from a single serving before a race.

    Show the answer

    Myth. Muscle carnosine rises over weeks of daily intake, and the ISSN says single large doses have not improved performance[1].

  2. 2.Tingling skin is a known side effect.

    Show the answer

    Evidence. The ISSN and a review of 101 studies report it as the only side effect seen in trials[1][10].

  3. 3.Beta-alanine improved 800 m race times in a trial.

    Show the answer

    Evidence. After 28 days, male club runners' 800 m times improved by about 2.5%[4].

  4. 4.Beta-alanine has clear benefits for marathon runners.

    Show the answer

    Myth. Research on efforts beyond about 25 minutes is limited and has not shown a consistent benefit[1].

  5. 5.Vegetarians can't raise their muscle carnosine with beta-alanine.

    Show the answer

    Myth. A low dose raised muscle carnosine in women on a vegetarian diet[7], and 99.3% of 99 people in a pooled analysis responded[26].

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Frequently asked questions

Does beta-alanine help runners?
Research suggests a small benefit in hard efforts of about 1 to 4 minutes, such as an 800 m race[1][4], with little evidence for longer running[1].
Why does beta-alanine make your skin tingle?
Tingling, called paraesthesia, is its known side effect; the ISSN says it may come from beta-alanine activating nerve receptors that end in the skin, and there is no evidence it is harmful[1]. Split servings or slow-release forms reduced it in studies[1][8].
Does the beta-alanine tingle mean it's working?
No link has been shown: in 8 competitive cyclists, a single dose caused clear tingling and a sense of more energy but did not clearly improve a 1 km time trial[15]. In another trial, a sustained-release form raised muscle carnosine with no more tingling than a placebo[34].
How long does beta-alanine take to work?
Weeks: according to the ISSN, muscle carnosine rose 20% to 30% after 2 weeks and 40% to 60% after 4 weeks of 4 to 6 g a day[1]. The 10 km and 800 m trials lasted 23 and 28 days[19][4].
Does beta-alanine help in a 5K?
In a trial of 16 long-distance runners, four weeks of beta-alanine brought no significant improvement in a 5000 m time trial[5].
Does beta-alanine help in a 10K or half marathon?
One small trial found 10 km times improved significantly more with beta-alanine than with placebo, though times after supplementation did not differ significantly between the groups[19]. We found no half marathon trials, and the ISSN says effects beyond about 25 minutes need more research[1].
Is beta-alanine better with bicarb?
Possibly: the combination had the largest effect in one meta-analysis[16], and another found a benefit only when the two were combined[22]. The ISSN describes the added effect as modest[1].
Is beta-alanine banned?
No. It is not on the WADA Prohibited List[36]. The anti-doping risk with any supplement product is contamination[3].
Do you have to take beta-alanine every day?
Studies gave it every day for weeks, because the effect depends on building up muscle carnosine[1]. Within 1.6 to 3.2 g a day, the rise depended on the total amount taken rather than the daily amount[25].
How long does beta-alanine last after you stop?
Weeks to months: after supplements stopped, carnosine fell 2% to 4% a week and returned to baseline in 6 to 15 weeks, depending on how much it had risen[23].
Does beta-alanine work for vegetarians?
Research suggests it raises their carnosine too: a low dose raised it in women on a vegetarian diet[7]. Vegetarians start lower[28], but a pooled analysis found starting levels did not change the rise[26]. We found no performance trials in vegetarian runners.
Does beta-alanine work for women?
Trials in women suggest a longer time to exhaustion, but the evidence is thin: a meta-analysis of 11 trials in 312 women rated its certainty as very low[21]. Sex did not change how much carnosine rose in a pooled analysis[26].
What is sustained-release beta-alanine?
A tablet form that releases beta-alanine slowly: in one trial it gave a lower blood peak and caused no more tingling than a placebo, unlike the same dose in solution[8]. Over 6 to 7 weeks, it raised muscle carnosine about as much as the plain form[24].
Is beta-alanine safe long term?
The evidence covers up to about 6 months: a review of 101 human studies found no adverse effects within the doses used in research[10], and the longest trials we found lasted about 24 weeks[27][7].

References

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Who wrote and reviewed this

Written by Grant MacMillan, Editor, RunV. Not yet reviewed by an expert.

Last checked against its references . Next review due . How pages are reviewed · How we grade research

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