Beta Alanine Speeds Up Post-Workout Recovery

Beta-alanine is a popular supplement among athletes who want to build muscle and increase their energy levels. The list of beneficial properties of the substance does not end there.

Doctors recommend taking beta alanine during menopause to reduce unpleasant symptoms, as well as improve hormonal levels and support the body during a difficult period. In this article we will understand how the amino acid affects women, how to take it correctly and what medications to choose during menopause.

Benefits for women

Beta-alanine is a very important substance for the female body, involved in maintaining good health and reproductive function. It affects the condition of peripheral blood vessels, balances the levels of central neurotransmitters, and helps control autonomic vasomotor processes that underlie the negative manifestations of menopause.

The amino acid has a number of therapeutic effects for patients during menopause:

• eliminates headaches and dizziness;
• reduces the frequency of hot flashes;
• reduces redness and heat of the skin;
• suppresses excessive sweating;
• normalizes mood;
• improves sleep quality;
• relieves nervousness and irritability;
• improves metabolism;
• prevents excess weight gain during menopause.

In addition to its effect on menopause, the amino acid beta-alanine has other beneficial properties for women of any age. The substance enhances immune activity and reduces the risk of viral and bacterial infections. Beta-alanine is involved in neutralizing free radicals, due to which it slows down the appearance of age-related changes in the body.

Characteristics and Functions of Beta-Alanine

The main characteristics and functions of substances include:

• Increased muscle contraction. This is made possible due to the high resistance of calcium channels, which allows the muscles to contract faster and stronger. This is due to low acidity due to increased carnosine production. As a result, the fatigue threshold increases, so the athlete is able to continue to force the muscles to contract (due to high acidity, it is impossible to perform repetitions after muscle “failure”).
• Source of energy and regulator of blood sugar concentration. Alanine is actively involved in the metabolism of sugars and various organic acids. It is one of the main sources of energy for muscle tissue and the central nervous system. Alanine begins to participate in metabolic processes after entering the liver and being converted into glucose. When sugar levels in the body decrease, which often happens during a low-carbohydrate diet, protein stored in muscle tissue (glycogen) is broken down into glucose. In these situations, alanine acts as a sugar level regulator, so it greatly helps the human body during the fight against hypoglycemia (sugar deficiency) and low blood pressure.
• Stimulation of the immune system. Beta-alanine is a powerful stimulant of human immunity. Thanks to its presence, antibodies are produced. Alanine also allows you to remove metabolic products that are formed during the breakdown of proteins and during prolonged exhausting physical activity.

Indications for use

Most often, gynecologists prescribe medications for severe symptoms of menopause. This is a good alternative to hormonal medications, which work effectively, but have many side effects, which is why many women are forced to stop taking them. Dietary supplements can be prescribed in premenopause, as well as throughout the entire menopausal period.

There are other indications for the use of drugs:

• stress, increased work loads;
• mood swings, seasonal depression;
• frequent respiratory diseases;
• deterioration of memory and concentration;
• muscle weakness, increased fatigue;
• sleep disorders;
• decreased endurance during fitness training.

Since plant foods contain minimal amounts of beta-alanine, it is advisable for vegetarian and vegan women to take amino acid supplements on a regular basis.

What is the best citrulline sports supplement?

Choosing a sports supplement manufacturer can be difficult not only for beginners, but also for experienced athletes. To save you from unnecessary hassle, we have compiled a rating of the best dietary supplements with citrulline. Each of the products listed has all the necessary certification.

Now Foods

The well-known brand of dietary supplements Now has L-citrulline in its product line. It can be purchased in 2 packages: 90 capsules of 750 mg or 120 capsules of 1200 mg. Now Foods does not produce powder form.

Maxler

Second place goes to another popular manufacturer of dietary supplements - Maxler. This brand also only has L-Citrulline, but in powder form. One jar contains 200 g of substance.

Be First

Be First is one of the best sports nutrition manufacturers from Russia. The domestic brand produces Citrulline Malate in 2 forms: powder of 300 g per package and capsules of 120 pieces. The main advantage of Be First is its low cost, while the quality of their products is not inferior to imported analogues.

BioTech

The last place in the ranking goes to the American company BioTech. They make Citrulline Malate in capsules. One package contains 90 soft tablets.

The composition of dietary supplements also includes aerosil (a substance that prevents the release of biologically active substances). And citrulline in capsules also contains gelatin, which the capsule itself consists of.

Contraindications and harm to the body

The only limitation to the use of dietary supplements with amino acids is individual intolerance to the substance or the auxiliary components of the tablets. If a woman does not follow this rule, she may experience side effects: itchy skin rashes, watery eyes, nasal congestion, difficulty breathing. Such symptoms indicate an allergic reaction and require immediate discontinuation of the drug and consultation with a doctor.

An allergy may occur not to beta-alanine, but to starch, which is often used in the manufacture of tablets. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully read the instructions for the chosen drug.

Negative effects from taking an amino acid develop when it is overdosed. The condition is manifested by soreness in the muscles and joints, a sensation of “crawling goosebumps” on the limbs, and severe insomnia. Occasionally, an overabundance of the substance causes memory loss and deterioration in concentration. If such symptoms develop, you must stop using the supplement.

The main effect of beta-alanine on the body

Beta-alanine is not involved in the production of proteins, but it is an integral part of bioactive substances. The main one is the peptide carnosine. It is a dipeptide molecule - two interconnected amino acid residues. This is histidine and the same beta-alanine. All cells of the body contain carnosine in varying concentrations, and it is present in the highest concentrations in the skin, muscles and nervous tissue.

The effect of beta-alanine on the body is due to carnosine, since taking the supplement increases the concentration of the peptide. Carnosine is a kind of buffer in muscle tissue that prevents the pH level from decreasing, i.e., it prevents acidification during anaerobic exercise, and maintaining a high pH level helps to avoid fatigue.

When an athlete's carnosine levels increase, the threshold for muscle fatigue increases and endurance increases. The reason is simple - decreased acidity is the main factor in muscle wasting. Carnosine prevents this, causing fatigue to set in much later.

More carnosine:

• improves blood supply to the brain,
• stimulates the immune system,
• has an antioxidant effect;
• increases the sensitivity of calcium channels, thereby increasing muscle contractility.

Beta-alanine in food

Table – TOP 10 food sources of beta-alanine:

The concentration of the substance in products decreases sharply during prolonged heat treatment, so it is extremely difficult to meet the increased need for beta-alanine from food sources.

What is beta-alanine?

Beta-alanine is a type of alanine, a naturally occurring essential amino acid in humans. Beta-alanine has its own role in the body that is different from other types of alanine.

Beta-alanine is involved in brain function and the regulation of various processes, for example, thermoregulation, and is also used as a “raw material” for the synthesis of many active non-protein compounds, in particular antioxidants.

As you can see, beta-alanine is completely safe, because the body usually produces it itself. This substance is easily absorbed and begins to be used soon after administration, since it does not require either activation or additional transformations.

Rules for taking medications

The standard daily dosage of drugs with beta-alanine to eliminate signs of menopause is 400-1200 mg. The exact amount is selected by the doctor, taking into account the severity of the symptoms, the general health of the woman, her lifestyle and diet. Intensive treatment continues for 5-10 days until the frequency of hot flashes decreases or disappears completely. If necessary, courses of medication can be repeated a large number of times during the entire period of menopausal vasomotor disturbances.

According to the instructions, the option of taking amino acid supplements for a long time is also allowed. In this case, the dosage depends on the severity of the hot flashes:

• in case of severe manifestations of menopause, 2-3 tablets per day are prescribed for 3 months, and then 1-2 tablets for six months;
• for moderate symptoms, it is recommended to take 1-2 tablets per day for 3-6 months until a lasting result appears.

The drugs do not harm the body and do not affect hormonal levels, however, before using them, it is advisable to consult a gynecologist to choose the right course of treatment.

Doses and contraindications for use

The average person's body needs 3 g of alanine daily. People who are involved in bodybuilding and fitness should approximately double this norm (up to 4-6 g per day). If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle, has a sedentary job and does not play sports, then he needs to take up to 1 g of alanine per day.

It is recommended to take beta-alanine for a course lasting no more than 1-1.5 months. According to recent studies, taking large doses of alanine does not lead to any side effects.

Reviews

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Beta Alanine for Women

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Women who took amino acid dietary supplements cite the following benefits of the drugs:

• no adverse reactions;
• quick help with menopausal hot flashes;
• convenient form of application;
• positive effect on the entire body;
• good effect on the psycho-emotional state;
• no harm to hormonal levels.

Negative reviews are much less common. Some women experienced allergic reactions in the form of skin rashes and itching, and some customers complained about the lack of a noticeable effect of dietary supplements to correct the manifestations of menopause.