You take beta-alanine. A little later, your skin starts to tingle. It can feel odd, especially the first time.
That feeling is called paraesthesia. It means a change in how your skin feels, such as pins and needles and it happens with beta-alanine.
We want you to know what causes it, what beta-alanine does for your training, and why the amount of tingle tells you very little about your next workout.
Where does the tingle come from?
Beta-alanine acts on nerves that send feelings from your skin to your brain. Research into this skin response helps explain why you may feel prickly or itchy after taking it.
How much you take at once can affect that feeling. The way a supplement releases beta-alanine can matter too. In one small study, a slow-release tablet caused less tingling than the same amount mixed into a drink.
The tingle is a short-term skin effect. The training benefit comes from a change that builds inside your muscles over weeks. A stronger tingle gives you no useful score for how well your muscles are being supported.
What happens inside your muscles?
Your body uses beta-alanine to make carnosine. Think of carnosine as one of the tools your muscles use to cope with hard work.
During a hard workout, tiny particles called hydrogen ions build up. They make the inside of a muscle cell more acidic. This is one of several things that can make it harder to keep working.
Carnosine helps catch some of those particles. Scientists call this buffering. It helps limit the change in acidity while you push.
Taking beta-alanine each day can build your muscle carnosine stores. That takes time. Your muscles still need training, food and rest to do their job.
Which sessions might it help?
Beta-alanine may help with hard efforts that last a few minutes, such as a tough rowing or bike interval. Some repeated efforts may benefit too. How much it helps depends on the task and the person.
In a study of hard cycling, men who took beta-alanine for several weeks built more muscle carnosine and did more work in the test. That gives us a useful clue about where it may fit. It cannot tell us exactly how much faster you will race.
Give it time to build
Plan in weeks. The Australian Institute of Sport guide recommends at least four weeks of use when preparing for exercise that may benefit.
Follow the directions on your tub. Smaller amounts spread through the day can help reduce tingling. Check other supplements you use too, as some may also contain beta-alanine.
If the feeling bothers you, a sports dietitian can help you plan an amount and timing that suit you. Get medical advice for symptoms that are severe, last longer than expected, or feel unusual.
Our Ascend Beta Alanine is unflavoured. You can find the current product details and directions on its page.
Curious about another daily supplement? Our guide to creatine explains how it helps your muscles replace energy during short, hard efforts.
