So what's the deal with this beta alanine product from Power Bar that's featured on the homepage. I'm not going to lie, it intrigues me. I'm a college freshman and would like to know if this stuff is just a gimmick or can help performance. Does it simply make it easier to do workouts, therefore making you better? I know it doesn't automatically make you a speed demon. But I guess my main question is it the stuff just another bs product or is it the real thing that would benefit runners?
beta alanine is pretty useless. It maybe maybe maybe might improve performance. Most studies that have found a positive effect use cyclists, not runners. I have some notes on it from researching scientific articles. Let me know if you want me to post them.
I'm curious as well.
You have to use the product for at least 8 weeks during training in order to see any results. Says so right on the bottle. 4 weeks of 4 pills per day, then 4 weeks of 2 pills per day. So basically, you won't be able to tell anyway if the product helps or not because you will have 8 weeks training behind you. And if you read the "research" the "performance" improvement is very low (like 4 or 7%), distance/pace unspecified. So basically if you take the product and train for 8 weeks, you can expect to see training improvements from 8 weeks of training.
I never understood why runners think studies done on cyclists don't have any value. Anyway...
http://www.springerlink.com/content/34l012342p2w1432/
http://www.springerlink.com/content/g320km1x86214347/
Alan
I do understand it takes 4-8 weeks to see improvement. But what exactly do you get from this? Does it make you stronger and be able to run faster in your races? Or does it shorten recovery time so you can do better workouts?
If I start taking this now, 8 weeks would be my conference meet. Would it be worth starting this? I've just finished a strong summer base and am incorporating some interval work as our team is getting ready for our second race of the season.
I took it for around 10 weeks during the summer while I was training for triathlons. I got slightly faster at cycling, no more than I would have expected with just the training. I got no faster or maybe even slower at running. I have several jars of the crap in my kitchen and do not take it or plan to take it any longer.
power bar wrote:
I do understand it takes 4-8 weeks to see improvement. But what exactly do you get from this? Does it make you stronger and be able to run faster in your races? Or does it shorten recovery time so you can do better workouts?
If I start taking this now, 8 weeks would be my conference meet. Would it be worth starting this? I've just finished a strong summer base and am incorporating some interval work as our team is getting ready for our second race of the season.
*sigh* okay I'll dig out my notes.
Beta alanine supposedly makes you faster by putting more carnosine into your muscles. The increase in carnosine is supposed to buffer the acid released during anaerobic exercise. Carnosine is, however, only a minor buffering agent (compared to bicarbonate, phosphate)
study, with sub-52-sec 400m runners at 4.8g/d B-alanine
"muscle carnosine content can be substantially elevated
by oral beta-alanine supplementation in sprint-trained athletes;
3) muscle carnosine loading significantly attenuates
fatigue in repeated bouts of exhaustive dynamic contractions;
4) beta-alanine supplementation does not result in
better 400m run performance."
b-ala supplementation requires steady intake, about 500 mg every few hours for the dose
***
I haven't looked at the ingredients of the powerbar whatever crap, but I doubt it's a high enough dosage to get the purported effects. And you'd have to snack on it all day. you can take it if you want but all it'll do is make your ears tingle.
I admit, I've been taking this stuff now for almost 8wks (by this weekend..), call it placebo effect or being gullible or whatever but I have to say, something is definitely working. Especially doing my training runs and after long runs. Notice my paces are little faster even when it's warm out and I seem to recover a lot better than expected.
As for the "tingling" feeling, I notice this the first hour of taking it and if on an empty stomach but not when I take it with food.
I guess I will be the guinea pig for this product on here and report back to you after my marathon in four months.
It works but most people don't use it correctly. It's only good for interval workouts, hard hills, or fartlek.
It buffers lactic acid.