Whether it’s included in your pre-workout drink or you supplement with it separately, beta-alanine is a good addition to any roster of performance supplements. But in order to derive all its benefits, it’s important to know how much beta-alanine to take.
If you’re serious about getting fit, a growing body of research shows that bolstering your beta-alanine tank can help you exercise harder for longer. Over time, that may help support your individual fitness goals, such as more strength, less fat, greater muscular endurance, and more muscle.*
What’s the Minimum Effective Amount of Beta-Alanine?
“Beta-alanine has been studied at a wide range of serving sizes, from 800 mg per day up to 6.4 grams per day,” says Dr. Emily Pankow Fritz, Ph.D.
In clinical trials, she says, supplementing with 1.6 grams of beta-alanine has been shown to increase levels of carnosine in muscles. That’s important because carnosine creation is the goal of beta-alanine supplementation.
The body combines beta-alanine with another amino acid called histidine to make a third amino acid called carnosine, which can help delay fatigue during intense exercise by buffering the buildup of acid in muscles.*
“Doses of around 1.6 grams [the amount found in Beachbody Performance Energize] have also been shown to help improve exercise performance,” says Fritz.
Can You Take Too Much Beta-Alanine?
Beta-alanine is safe at recommended servings, says Fritz, but always check with your doctor before taking any supplement.
“One of the potential side effects of beta-alanine is a harmless, temporary tingling sensation called paraesthesia that can last 30 to 90 minutes after you take it,” Fritz says. When it occurs, the tingling happens in the hands, face, and neck and is dose-dependent.
So if beta-alanine makes you tingle, and that makes you uncomfortable, break up your serving size into smaller amounts during the day — half in the morning, half at night, for example. It doesn’t matter when you take beta-alanine, as long as you take it consistently, because it takes about a month to build sufficient levels in your body before you notice a difference in exercise performance.
How Long Does It Take for Beta-Alanine to Work?
Regardless of your serving of beta-alanine, it takes four to six weeks to accrue enough of it in your system to impact your workouts. So take it daily and be patient — after a few weeks, you’ll notice it helping make a clear difference in your strength and stamina.*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.