THE EFFECT OF b-ALANINE SUPPLEMENTATION
POWER PERFORMANCE DURING REPEATED
SPRINT ACTIVITY
KAITLIN M. SWEENEY,1 GLENN A. WRIGHT,1 A. GLENN BRICE,2
1
Exercise and Sport Science Department; and 2Biology Department, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin
ABSTRACT
Sweeney, KM, Wright, GA, Brice, AG, and Doberstein, ST. The
effect of b-alanine supplementation on power performance
during repeated sprint activity. J Strength Cond Res 24(1):
79–87, 2010—The dipeptide carnosine has been shown to
contribute to the buffer capacity of hydrogen ions (H+) during
intense exercise. Increasing skeletal muscle carnosine levels
through b-alanine (BA) supplementation has been shown to
maintain acid-base balance, delay fatigue, and improve exercise
performance. We designed this study to examine the effect of
5 weeks of BA supplementation on repeat high-intensity sprint
performance. Nineteen, physically active, college men were
divided into 2 groups (control [C], n = 10 or BA, n = 9). We
performed double-blind placebo-controlled study where sub-
jects ingested 4 g per day during the first week and 6 g per day
over the next 4 weeks of a placebo (rice flour) or a BA supple-
ment. Subjects completed 2 sets of 5 5-second sprints with
45-second recovery separated by 2 minutes of active recovery.
All tests were conducted on a non-motorized treadmill
against a resistance of 15% of the participant’s body weight.
We recorded horizontal power (HP) of the running sprint. Post-
exercise capillary blood samples were analyzed for lactate to
determine the metabolic demands. There were no significant
between-group differences (p . 0.05) in HPpeak or HPmean
for the repeat sprint protocol. No significant between-group
differences were found for performance decrement (% fatigue)
for HPpeak or HPmean. In addition, no significant interactions
were observed. Post-exercise blood lactate values were similar
pre and post supplementation in both groups. The results of this
study clearly indicate that 5 weeks of BA supplementation
provides no benefit for repeat sprint performance.
KEY WORDS carnosine, high-intensity exercise, buffer capacity,
fatigue
Human Performance Laboratory, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.
Address correspondence to Kaitlin M. Sweeney, kaitlin.sweeney@gmail.com.
24(1)/79–87
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Ó 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association
ON
AND SCOTT T. DOBERSTEIN1
INTRODUCTION
T
he activity pattern of many field-based sports
consists of intermittent bouts of maximal or near-
maximal sprinting followed by short-, moderate- to
light-intensity recovery periods. The ability to
maintain this pattern of activity throughout an entire game or
match requires the rapid resynthesis of adenosine triphos-
phate (ATP). Rapid ATP resynthesis is primarily accom-
plished by the limited stores of phosphocreatine (PCr) and
fast glycolysis (27). Gaitanos et al. (11) suggested that com-
plete PCr resynthesis cannot occur within short recovery
periods, resulting in a progressive depletion of PCr and an
increased reliance on fast glycolysis during repeat sprint
exercise. The increased dependence on fast glycolysis also
implies an increase in hydrogen ion (H+) concentration
within the muscle, which decreases pH, slows ATP pro-
duction, and inevitably causes fatigue. In addition, increased
H+ may interfere with muscle contraction and may poten-
tially decrease power production (20). As a result, field-based
athletes in sports such as American football, soccer, and
field hockey may look for nutritional supplements to aid in
improving muscle buffer capacity to improve performance
during competition.
The intramuscular dipeptide carnosine is thought to
contribute between 7 and 10% to the total buffering capacity
in skeletal muscle of untrained subjects (18,23). Carnosine is
made up of 2 amino acids, b-alanine (BA), and histidine.
Histidine is found in plentiful amounts in muscle, which leads
many to suggest that the BA may be the rate-limiting sub-
strate for carnosine production in muscle (2). Studies where
subjects supplemented with doses of 3–6 g BA per day for
at least 4 weeks have shown to be an effective means of
increasing skeletal muscle carnosine levels (9,16,18). In-
creasing skeletal muscle carnosine levels through BA supple-
mentation delays fatigue and increases anaerobic exercise
performance (9,15,17,29), presumably by improving buffer
capacity.
Previous investigators observed that BA supplementation
improved anaerobic exercise performance (15,17,28); how-
ever, not all anaerobic exercises are limited by the same
metabolic factors. For example, it is suggested that fatigue
during repeat sprint exercise is caused by the rapid depletion
VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 1 | JANUARY 2010 | 79
Effect of b-Alanine Supplementation on Power Performance
of PCr stores in the muscle (12). At the same time, repeat
sprint exercise is known to produce moderate to high muscle
and blood lactate levels and a resulting decrease in muscle
pH (4,8,11), indicating the heavy use of fast glycolysis to
resynthesize ATP. Bishop et al. (5) found that there was
a strong relationship between power decrement and change
in plasma [H+] during a repeat sprint protocol consisting of
5 3 6-second sprints with a 24-second recovery. As a result of
this finding and the relationship between blood and muscle
pH (1), Bishop et al. (5) suggested that the ability for the
muscle to buffer H+ may be important for maintaining repeat
sprint performance. It is possible that repeat sprint exercise
performance may be improved by BA supplementation
because muscle buffer capacity seems to be important for
such performance (3); however, no studies have been per-
formed to investigate this hypothesis. Therefore, the purpose
of this study was to determine the efficacy of 5 weeks of
BA supplementation on repeated brief sprint performance.
METHODS
Experimental Approach to the Problem
This study was conducted over a 6-week period using a
2-group, matched, double-blind design that was placebo
controlled. After 2 familiarization sessions of the repeated
sprint protocol used in the study, the participants were
assigned to 1 of 2 groups of 10 subjects: BA or placebo (C)
matched to their mean power performance during the second
familiarization of the sprint protocol. The C group was used
rather than a crossover design because the washout time for
BA is not at present known. Subjects performed a repeated
sprint protocol before and after 5 weeks of supplementation
with either a BA or a placebo similar in appearance, taste,
and texture. It was hypothesized that BA supplementation
would allow sprint performance (horizontal power produc-
tion, HP; power decrement, % fatigue) to be maintained
through a greater number of sprints than without BA.
Subjects
Twenty, physically active, college-aged men were recruited as
subjects in this investigation (descriptive characteristics found
in Table 1). Twelve subjects were National Collegiate Athletic
Association Division III football players involved in the early
phases of their off-season training program, which included
TABLE 1. Participant characteristics (mean 6 SD).*
Height Body
Group n Age (y) (cm) mass (kg)
BA 9 22.5 6 1.7 71.8 6 3.3 90.4 6 20.2
C 10 22.7 6 1.3 70.9 6 2.6 87.9 6 8.7
*BA = b-alanine; C = control.
the TM
80 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
3–4 days of resistance training and 2 days of sprint training.
The remaining 8 subjects were involved with a recreational
strength training program where the focus was on muscle
hypertrophy and were regularly trained 3–4 days per week
for at least 6 months before beginning the study. One subject
in the BA group dropped out of the study during the week of
post-testing because of illness unrelated to the study.
Therefore, pre- and post-supplementation data for
this subject were not included in data analysis, leaving the
BA group with only 9 subjects. The research protocol was
approved by the university’s Institutional Review Board
before its implementation. Subjects were informed of the
experimental risks and signed an informed consent document
before participation in the study. The subjects were not
permitted to use any additional nutritional or performance
enhancement supplementation in the previous 8 weeks.
We asked our subjects to maintain their normal diet and eat
a normal meal within 2–3 hours before each exercise testing
session. No other nutritional guidelines were given.
Procedures
Supplementation. After pretesting, subjects ingested 2 capsules
of the BA supplement (Intra X cell; Athletics Edge Nutrition,
Miami, FL, USA) or placebo (rice flour) 3 times per day
during the first week. Daily intake of the experimental
supplement at this dosage supplied 4 g of BA, 402 mg pro-
prietary blend of N-acetylcysteine/g-lipoic acid, and 15 mg
of vitamin E. During the following 4 weeks, participants
increased the dose to 6 g of BA or placebo per day by
ingesting 3 capsules, 3 times per day. Subjects were asked to
take the capsules with meals and record the exact day and
time of dose in a dosing journal. Supplements were disbursed
at the beginning of weeks 1 and 3.
Sprint Treadmill Testing. The testing protocol consisted of
2 familiarization sessions performed on nonconsecutive days.
The second of these sessions was performed 1 week before
the first of 2 experimental sessions. Experimental sessions
were separated by the 5-week supplementation period. The
2 experimental sessions consisted of a standardized warm-up
of 5 minutes on a motorized treadmill at a self-selected fast
walk or slow jog followed by 3 short 2- to 3-second bursts
on a non-motorized treadmill (Force Treadmill; Woodway
USA, Waukesha, WI, USA) against a resistance load equal
to 15% of the subject’s body weight. This resistance was
established through pilot work to find the highest load that
would ensure reaching peak power within the first 3 seconds
of a 5-second sprint. After the warm-up, subjects rested for
5 minutes before starting the sprint protocol.
The non-motorized treadmill consisted of a hard rubber
belt that was user driven. The load was produced by an
electromagnetic braking system that provided up to 68 kg of
resistance to the treadmill belt. The subject was attached to
a vertical strut by a belted tether system that contained a load
cell to measure horizontal force. Information from the load
 the TM

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research | www.nsca-jscr.org

Figure 1. Peak and mean HP output per sprint for the BA group (A) and C group (B) pre and post supplementation (mean values only, SD not shown for clarity).
HP = horizontal power; BA = b-alanine; C = control.

cell and the velocity of the treadmill belt were interfaced with
a computer and software that determined horizontal force,
velocity, power, work, and distance of each sprint at 50 Hz.
These data were accumulated on a Microsoft Excel spread-
sheet and averaged to 0.5-second intervals. Performance
decrement (% fatigue) during the repeat sprint protocol was
calculated using recommendations made by Glaister et al.
(13) and the performance decrement score devised by
Fitzsimons et al. (10): % fatigue = 100 2 ([total power
output/ideal power output] 3 100), where total power
output = the sum of the power output values for all sprints
and ideal power output = the number of sprints 3 highest
power output of all sprints.
The repeat sprint protocol consisted of 2 sets of five
5-second sprints with 45 seconds of passive recovery. A
2-minute walking recovery at 1.5 mph on an adjacent
motorized treadmill separated the 2 sets of sprints. Subjects
were instructed to achieve maximal effort and maintain that
effort for the entire 5 seconds of every sprint. Strong verbal
encouragement was given to each participant. The test-retest
reliabilities (intraclass correlation, ICC) of this repeat sprint
protocol were r = 0.998 and r = 0.918 for mean power and
peak power performance, respectively.
Blood Lactate. Fingertip capillary blood samples were taken
before warm-up and 5 minutes after the last sprint. After
puncturing the skin of the fingertip, the first drop of blood was
wiped from the skin. The succeeding blood flow was collected
in a heparinized capillary tube. Twenty-five microliters of
blood was immediately removed from the capillary tube and
mixed with 50 ml of NaF Triton buffer, which is used for red
blood cell lyses and to prevent an increase in lactate after the
whole blood sample was added to the buffer. Samples were
immediately analyzed for lactate using a Yellow Springs

TABLE 2. HP for the BA and C groups pre and post supplementation (mean 6 SD).*

Group Time HPpeak (W) Effect size HPmean (W) Effect size

BA Pre 1,089.1 6 168.4 0.15 885.3 6 139.0 0.06

Post 1,114.8 6 194.5 876.3 6 136.9
C Pre 1,101.1 6 153.2 0.14 888.3 6 116.2 0.07
Post 1,121.9 6 140.8 880.2 6 115.7
Time p = 0.644 p = 0.000†
Group p = 0.849 p = 0.952
Time 3 group p = 0.962 p = 0.824

*HP = horizontal power; BA = b-alanine; C = control.

†p , 0.05.

VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 1 | JANUARY 2010 | 81

Effect of b-Alanine Supplementation on Power Performance

Figure 2. Individual response (lines) and group mean (bars) for average HPpeak and HPmean per sprint for the BA group (A, C) and control group (B, D) pre and
post supplementation (mean values only, SD not shown for clarity). BA = b-alanine.

Instruments 1500 Sport lactate analyzer (Yellow Springs, OH,
USA). The test-retest reliability (ICC) of this method in our
laboratory has been shown to be r $ 0.953.
Statistical Analyses
Based on a similar repeat sprint study design (31), we
determined that 12 subjects would be necessary to achieve
a statistical power of 0.80 for peak power performance and
8 subjects would be necessary to achieve this level for mean
power performance (21). Because mean power is a more
representative measure of sprint performance, we decided to
recruit 10 subjects per group in this study.
Analysis of variance (2 3 2) with repeated measures on one
factor (time: pre vs. post) was performed to determine if any

TABLE 3. Performance decrement (% fatigue) for HP and velocity (V) for the BA and C groups pre and post
supplementation (mean 6 SD).*†

Group Time HPpeak (%) Effect size HPmean (%) Effect size

BA Pre 10.0 6 3.7 0.05 8.8 6 3.8 0.03

Post 10.2 6 2.5 8.9 6 2.5
C Pre 10.1 6 3.4 0.12 8.4 6 8.6 0.43
Post 10.5 6 3.2 12.1 6 4.9
Time p = 0.613 p = 0.080
Group p = 0.858 p = 0.367
Time 3 group p = 0.887 p = 0.094

*HP = horizontal power; BA = b-alanine; C = control.

†p # 0.05. No differences were identified.

the TM

82 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research


Figure 3. Individual response (lines) and group mean (bars) for power decrement (% fatigue) during the sprint protocol for the BA group (A, C) and C group (B, D)
pre and post supplementation for HPpeak (A, B) and HPmean (C, D) (mean values only, SD not shown for clarity). BA = b-alanine; C = control.
significant main effects or interactions were present between
time and between groups (BA and C) for analysis of HP, %
fatigue (performance decrement), and blood lactate. All data
are reported as mean 6 SD unless otherwise indicated. The
level of statistical significance was set at p # 0.05, with
meaningfulness of differences determined by the use of effect
sizes. Effect sizes were calculated by determining the differ-
ence between pretest and posttest means, divided by the
pretest SD, and interpreted according to a scale previously
proposed by Rhea (24).
RESULTS
Review of supplement dosing journals indicated that all
subjects met the required supplement dosage and demon-
strated no side effects other than a mild prickling sensation in
their neck and limbs due to the neural sensitivity from the
supplement. This side effect is considered to be normal and
typical of BA supplementation and dissipates with time.
Horizontal Power
Figure 1 shows the power output for peak (HPpeak) and
mean (HPmean) horizontal power for each sprint by group.
the TM
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research | www.nsca-jscr.org
No significant differences were identified for HPpeak by time,
group, or interaction of time 3 group (Table 2). We observed
a significant main effect in HPmean by time such that there
was a decrease in HPmean in both groups from pre- to post-
testing; however, there was no significant difference between
groups or time 3 group interaction (Table 2). Effect sizes for
HP in both groups were trivial, ranging from 0.06 to 0.15.
Figure 2 shows that there was a fairly consistent individual
subject response to both the BA and C supplementation.
Fatigue
The performance decrements (% fatigue) seen in the BA
group and C group pre and post supplementation are shown
in Table 3. No significant differences were seen in the
performance decrement for HPpeak or HPmean. Effect sizes
for HP in both groups were trivial to small, ranging from 0.03
to 0.43. Figure 3 shows a large variation in both HPpeak and
HPmean for the individual subject response in performance
decrement for both groups of subjects.
Lactate
Blood lactate response to the repeat sprint protocol is shown
in Figure 4. There were no significant differences observed by
VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 1 | JANUARY 2010 | 83
Effect of b-Alanine Supplementation on Power Performance
Figure 4. Lactate response to repeat sprint protocol pre and post supplementation. BA = b-alanine; C = control alanine is likely the rate-limiting
(mean 6 SD).
group (p = 0.562) or time (p = 0.809). There was also no
significant group 3 time interaction (p = 0.585).
DISCUSSION
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 5 weeks of
BA supplementation on performance during repeated
brief all-out sprints. Results indicate that 6 g per day of BA
supplementation had no effect on HP or performance
decrement (% fatigue) during repeated sprints. The decrease
in HPmean from pre to posttesting in both groups may be
attributed to a change in pacing strategy during the sprint. We
observed that both groups produced a nonsignificant increase
in HPpeak after supplementation, which may have led to
earlier fatigue within each sprint, resulting in a lower
HPmean. The BA group increased HPpeak 2.4%, whereas
HPmean decreased 1.0%. Similarly, the C group increased
HPpeak 1.9%, which was accompanied by a 0.9% decrease in
HPmean. Although the small decrease in HPmean produced
a significant main effect by time, it is unlikely that this decrease
is practically significant for most field sport athletes. The lack
of a group 3 time interaction indicates there was no difference
in the improvement in HPmean due to BA supplementation.
One of the key outcomes of a repeat sprint protocol is the
measure of performance decrement over the number of
sprints. In this study, we looked at the power decrease over
ten 5-second sprints with a 45-second recovery. To be able to
conclude that BA provides some positive ergogenic proper-
ties, supplementation with BA should improve the perfor-
mance decrement (smaller decrease in power) for both
HPpeak and HPmean. Our results show that BA did not
improve the performance decrement; however, the results
should be interpreted with caution. As shown in Figure 3, the
the TM
84 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
individual pre- to post-supple-
mentation % fatigue responses
for both BA and C groups are
quite variable. Although the
method used to determine
performance decrement in this
study has been evaluated and
compared with other methods
for reliability and validity and
determined to be the most
reliable and valid method, it
has also been shown to have
a test-retest variability in fatigue
of about 30% (13).
The absence of an ergogenic
effect may be related to the
inability to increase muscle
carnosine levels by the dosing
strategy used in this study. Beta-
substrate and essential supple-
ment required to increase car-
nosine levels within the muscle
tissue (2). Previous research has demonstrated that BA
supplementation can increase muscle carnosine levels and
contribute to the acid-base buffering capacity of the muscle
(8,12,14,15,18). For example, Harris et al. (16) found a 42%
increase in carnosine levels after supplementing with 3.2 g
per day of BA and a 64% increase with 6.4 g per day after
4 weeks of supplementation.
Active subjects show higher resting levels of carnosine in
their muscles than untrained individuals, especially if they
have a history of anaerobic training (30). Muscle carnosine
levels have been determined to be twice as high in com-
petitive bodybuilders as untrained individuals, possibly due
to changes associated with prolonged repetitive exposure to
low muscle pH, diet, or supplementation (30). The subjects
in our study would be classified as highly active with the
majority of their activity in anaerobic activities (strength
training), although none would be considered elite athletes.
Recently, Derave et al. (9) found that trained sprinters were
able to increase intramuscular carnosine 47% in the soleus
and 37% in the gastrocnemius after 4 weeks of 2.4–4.8 g per
day of BA supplementation. Although an important limita-
tion of this study was our inability to measure carnosine
levels, the dosage and supplement periods used in our study
(6 g per day, 5 weeks) are equal to or in excess of previous
studies that have shown a significant increase in muscle
carnosine levels in both trained and untrained subjects.
Therefore, the lack of ergogenic benefits observed in the
present study is not likely attributed to an inappropriate
BA supplementation protocol.
An increase in carnosine levels and muscle buffer capacity
from BA would likely increase the ability to withstand and
maintain performance during high-intensity activity where

fast glycolysis is an important energy system. An increased
reliance on fast glycolysis means a greater concentration of
H+ ions and drop in pH. In the present study, we did not
measure blood or muscle pH. However, sprint-type activity is
known to recruit high-threshold motor units during high
force production in muscles required in sprinting (25). The
fast-twitch fibers that make up the high-threshold motor
units are characterized by greater intramuscular acidosis
during their activation than slow-twitch fibers (32). There-
fore, during repeated all-out sprint exercise, the involvement
of fast glycolysis in fast-twitch fibers, as evidenced in our
study by moderately high blood lactate levels, indicates
a likelihood that the muscle is in a state of acidosis during
this repeat sprint protocol. As the pH of the muscle drops,
power output may be impaired due to muscular fatigue (9).
It is known that the fatiguing effects attributed to a decreasing
pH during intense exercise include inhibition of rate-limiting
enzymes involved with fast glycolysis (phosphofructokinase
and phosphorylase), decreased release of Ca++ from the
sarcoplasmic reticulum, and a decrease in cross-bridge inter-
actions in the muscle (22,26), leading to a drop in HP.
The presumed increase in muscle carnosine levels asso-
ciated with BA supplementation used in this study should
have increased the ability to buffer H+ ions and maintain
muscle pH and sprint performance. However, it is possible
that the H+ produced may have exceeded the capacity of
carnosine to be an effective intramuscular buffer because it is
estimated that during intense exercise, muscle pH will drop
from 7.2 at rest to 6.5 or lower at fatigue (16). However, the
suggestion of exceeding the capacity of carnosine may be
somewhat controversial because there is disagreement to
the extent of the buffering capacity of carnosine. According
to Mannion et al. (23) carnosine may be of little importance
to pH maintenance by only contributing approximately
7% to the total muscle buffer capacity. However, findings by
Davey (7) suggest that carnosine can contribute as much as
40% to buffering capacity when the physiological pH is
between 6.5 and 7.5.
Although previous research has shown an improvement in
performance after BA supplementation (9,17,18,29), it might
be concluded from those studies that the ergogenic benefit
may be more related to the dominant energy system used
during the performance and as a result depend on the
duration of the maximal effort. For example, Hill et al. (18)
demonstrated a 16% increase in total work performed at
110% of maximum cycling power to exhaustion (;150
seconds) after BA supplementation for 4 weeks. In addition,
Derave et al. (9) demonstrated that BA improved perfor-
mance of intermittent exercise bouts of isokinetic leg exten-
sions (5 bouts of 30 maximal repetitions with 1-minute rest
between bouts) where each bout lasted approximately
45 seconds. The ergogenic benefits however were not
noticed until the last 2 sets of the intermittent protocol.
Stout et al. (29) demonstrated an increase in neuromuscular
fatigue threshold using an incremental cycling challenge that
the TM
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research | www.nsca-jscr.org
used four to five 2-minute stages after BA supplementation of
1.6 g per day for 28 days. Although many previous studies
support the use of BA supplementation as a performance-
enhancing ergogenic aid for some types of anaerobic exer-
cise, this is the first study to investigate the effects of BA
supplementation on repeat sprint exercise performance.
Our findings of the inability of BA supplementation to
maintain HP during repeat sprint exercise in the present study
are consistent with other studies using all-out efforts for less
than 1 minute (9,19). For example, Hoffman et al. (19) found
no additional benefit of supplementing with BA along with
creatine compared with creatine alone when performing two
30-second Wingate tests separated by 3 minutes of active
recovery. In the same study (19), the supplementation of BA
did not improve the maintenance of jumping power during
a 20 consecutive jump test. In addition, after 4 weeks of 4.8 g
per day of BA (which significantly increased intramuscular
carnosine), Derave et al. (9) found no change in performance
time (average ;52 seconds) in a single 400-m sprint in
trained sprinters.
These findings, along with the results of our study, suggest
that factors other than changes in pH may be more important
than the accumulation of H+ ions for producing fatigue
during repeated brief sprints with short recovery periods.
During a single bout (6 seconds) of high-intensity exercise,
use of PCr and fast glycolysis each account for approximately
half of the total energy needed; however, during repeated
sprints, a greater depletion of PCr is observed than during
a single maximal effort (9). The rate of PCr resynthesis is
influenced by the metabolic environment of the muscle,
H+ ion concentrations of the muscle and blood, and ATP
concentration within the muscle (27). It has been demon-
strated that short recovery periods (30–180 seconds) may not
provide adequate time to restore PCr values to resting levels,
thus leading to an increased need for additional energy from
fast glycolysis (2,9). Indeed, Bogdanis et al. (6) reported that
the halftime for PCr resynthesis was 57 seconds, considerably
longer than the recovery period (45 seconds) used in the
present study. The incomplete resynthesis of PCr may
explain the relatively high levels of blood lactate observed in
our study but also suggest that changes in pH may not be
the sole explanation for muscle fatigue during our sprint
protocol. The availability of PCr may be the limiting factor in
multiple sprint performance (4,5,9). During repeated sprints,
PCr may only be partially restored if the recovery bouts are
less than 1–2 minutes long and may take more than 6 minutes
to fully recover (4,9). It is likely that the 45-second recovery
periods used in our study did not allow for sufficient PCr
resynthesis to maintain a considerable contribution to power
output beyond the first couple of sprints. Therefore, BA
supplementation may not have a large effect on repeated
sprint performance because the lack of PCr resynthesis may
have a greater effect on fatigue and decrease in performance
than the accumulation of H+. In support of this notion,
Bishop et al. (3) found that the physiochemical buffering
VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 1 | JANUARY 2010 | 85
Effect of b-Alanine Supplementation on Power Performance
in the muscle during a 5 3 6-second sprint protocol with
24-second recovery had no relationship to repeated sprint
ability. They suggest that the contribution from the metabolic
reactions that consume H+, the sarcolemmal lactate/H+, and
Na+/H+ exchange mechanisms; capillarization; muscle
blood flow; and changes in the intracellular strong ion differ-
ence may be a greater influence than the physiochemical
buffering in the muscle. They also suggest that the individuals
with the best repeated sprint ability are likely the ones who
produce fewer H+, especially in the first few sprints (3).
In conclusion, it was determined that BA supplementation
does not have an ergogenic effect on repeated brief sprints.
The lack of PCr resynthesis associated with short recovery
periods may more likely explain the limiting factors for
performance.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
The ability to produce and maintain bouts of high-power
output during periods of multiple sprint work is important to
many field-based sports. Previous research using repeat high-
intensity sprint performance has attributed fatigue to the
availability and resynthesis of PCr. Phosphocreatine depletion
may be a greater cause of fatigue in this protocol than acidosis,
and as a result, any effects of BA were not noticeable.
Although this area requires more investigation, the results of
this study suggest that sports such as football, soccer, lacrosse,
and others with repeated sprint efforts should probably not
rely on BA supplementation for performance enhancement.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank the University of
Wisconsin–La Crosse Graduate Research Grant Program
for assisting with funding for this project. The authors would
also like to acknowledge Athletes Edge Nutrition, Miami,
FL, for their help in providing supplementation. The results
of the present study do not constitute endorsement of the
product by the authors or the National Strength and
Conditioning Association.
REFERENCES
1. Alsop, P, Cheetham, M, Brooks, S, Hal, G, and Williams, C.
Continuous intramuscular pH measurement during the recovery
from brief, maximal exercise in man. Eur J Appl Physiol 59: 465–470,
1990.
2. Asatoor, A, Bandoh, J, Lant, A, Milne, A, and Navah, F. Intestinal
absorption of carnosine and its constituent amino acids in man.
Gut 11: 250–254, 1970.
3. Bishop, D, Edge, J, Davis, C, and Goodman, C. Muscle buffer
capacity and aerobic fitness are associated with repeated sprint
ability in women. Eur J Appl Physiol 92: 540–547, 2004.
4. Bishop, D, Edge, J, Davis, C, and Goodman, C. Induced metabolic
alkalosis affects muscle metabolism and repeated-sprint ability.
Med Sci Sports Exerc 36: 807–813, 2004.
5. Bishop, D, Lawrence, S, and Spencer, M. Predictors of repeated-
sprint ability in elite female hockey players. J Sci Med Sport 6: 199–
209, 2003.
the TM
86 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
6. Bogdanis, G, Nevill, M, Boobis, L, and Lakomy, H. Contribution of
phosphocreatine and aerobic metabolism to energy supply during
repeated sprint exercise. J Appl Physiol 80: 876–884, 1996.
7. Davey, C. The significance of carnosine and anserine in striated
skeletal muscle. Arch Biochem Biophys 89: 303–308, 1960.
8. Dawson, B, Goodman, C, Lawrence, S, Preen, D, Polglaze, T,
Fitzsimons, M, and Fournier, P. Muscle phosphocreatine repletion
following single and repeated short sprint efforts. Scan J Med Sci
Sports 7: 206–213, 2007.
9. Derave, W, Ozdemir, M, Harris, R, Pottier, A, Reyngoudt, H,
Koppo, K, Wise, J, and Achten, E. Beta alanine supplementation
augments muscle carnosine content and attenuates fatigue during
repeated isokinetic contraction bouts in trained sprinters. J Appl
Physiol 103: 1736–1743, 2007.
10. Fitzsimmons, M, Dawson, B, Ware, D, and Wilkinson, A. Cycling
and running tests of repeated sprint ability. Aust J Sci Med Sport
25: 82–87, 2003.
11. Gaitanos, G, Williams, L, Boobis, L, and Brooks, S. Human muscle
metabolism during intermittent maximal exercise. J Appl Physiol
75: 712–719, 1993.
12. Glaister, M. Multiple sprint work: Methodological, physiological,
and experimental issues. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 3: 107–112,
2008.
13. Glaister, M, Howatson, G, Pattison, J, and Mcinnes, G. The reliability
and validity of fatigue measures during multiple-sprint work: An
issue revisited. J Strength Cond Res 22: 1597–1601, 2008.
14. Glaister, M, Lockey, R, Abraham, C, Staerck, A, Goodwin, J, and
Mcinnes, G. Creatine supplementation and multiple sprint running
performance. J Strength Cond Res 20: 273–277, 2004.
15. Harris, R, Hill, C, and Wise, J. Effect of beta alanine and creatine
monohydrate supplementation on exercise performance. Med Sci
Sports Exerc 35: S218, 2003.
16. Harris, R, Tallon, M, Dunnett, M, Boobis, L, Coakley, J, Kim, H,
Fallowfield, J, Hill, C, Sale, C, and Wise, J. The absorption of orally
supplied beta-alanine and its effect on muscle carnosine synthesis in
human vastus lateralis. Amino Acids 30: 279–289, 2006.
17. Hill, C, Harris, R, Kim, H, Boobis, L, Sale, C, and Wise, J. The effect of
beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate supplementation on muscle
composition and exercise performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37: S348,
2005.
18. Hill, C, Harris, R, Kim, H, Harris, B, Boobis, L, Sale, C, and Wise, J.
Influence of beta-alanine supplementation on skeletal muscle
carnosine concentration and high intensity cycling capacity. Amino
Acids 32: 225–233, 2007.
19. Hoffman, J, Ratamess, N, Kang, J, Mangine, G, Faigenbaum, A, and
Stout, J. Effect of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation on
performance and endocrine responses in strength/power athletes.
Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metabol 16: 430–446, 2006.
20. Lamb, G, Recupero, E, and Stephenson, D. Effect of myoplasmic pH
on excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle fibers of the
toad. J Physiol 448: 211–224, 1992.
21. Lenth, R. Java applets for power and sample size [Computer
Software]. Available at: http://www.stat.uiowa.edu/;rlenth/
Power. Accessed April 6, 2009.
22. Linderman, J and Fahey, T. Sodium bicarbonate ingestion and
exercise performance: An update. Sports Med 11: 71–77, 1991.
23. Mannion, A, Jakeman, P, Dunnett, M, Harris, R, and William, P.
Carnosine and anserine concentrations in the quadriceps femoris
muscle of healthy humans. Eur J Appl Occup Physiol 64: 47–50, 1992.
24. Rhea, M. Determining the magnitude of treatment effects in strength
training research through the use of the effect size. J Strength Cond
Res 18: 918–920, 2004.
25. Ross, A, Leveritt, M, and Riek, S. Neural influences on sprint
running: Training adaptations and acute responses. Sports Med 31:
409–425, 2001.

26. Roth, D and Brooks, G. Lactate and pyruvate transport is dominated
by a pH gradient-sensitive carrier in rat skeletal muscle sarcolemmal
vesicles. Arch Biochem Biophys 279: 386–394, 1990.
27. Silverthorn, D. Human Physiology: An Intergrated Approach.
San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education, 2004.
28. Stout, J. Beta-alanine: The new kid on the block. Strength Cond J
27: 90–91, 2005.
29. Stout, J, Cramer, J, Mielke, M, O’kroy, J, Torok, D, and Zoeller, R.
Effects of twenty eight days of beta-alanine and creatine mono-
hydrate supplementation on the physical working capacity at
neuromuscular fatigue threshold. J Strength Cond Res 20: 928–931,
2006.
the TM
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research | www.nsca-jscr.org
30. Tallon, M, Harris, R, Boobis, L, Fallowfield, J, and Wise, J. The
carnosine content of vastus lateralis is elevated in resistance
trained bodybuilders. J Strength Cond Res 19: 725–729,
2005.
31. Wright, G, Grandjean, P, and Pascoe, D. The effects of creatine
loading on thermoregulation and intermittent sprint exercise
performance in a hot-humid environment. J Strength Cond Res
21: 655–660, 2007.
32. Zhen-He, H, Botinelli, R, Pellegrino, M, Fereczi, M, and Reggani, C.
ATP consumption and efficiency of human single muscle fibers
with different myosin isoform composition. Biophys J 79: 945–961,
2000.
VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 1 | JANUARY 2010 | 87