Effect of the beta-alanine supplementation in sports: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Nutritional supplements, in addition to the athlete’s diet, are crucial for improving sports performance and the management of training and recovery. Supplements may provide a convenient source of energy and macronutrients and help prevent micronutrient deficiencies. Beta-alanine (BA) is a popular supplement thought to improve exercise performance in a variety of sports. The purpose of this umbrella review was to explore the evidence for the effect of BA supplementation on exercise performance.EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic literature search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed®, Web of Science®, and Scopus®, for studies published until 6th October 2022 and the searches were limited to systematic reviews or meta-analyses.EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Eight articles met the criteria for inclusion in this review. Except for one study, which included only athletes, all studies included a mixed population of athletes and non-athletes. Five of these studies examined exercise performance, while the other two focused on fatigue resistance and body composition. The daily BA dosages in the research ranged from 1.2 to 7.0 g, while the intervention length varied from 4 days to 13 weeks. Apart from the body composition study, all of the other research included in this review suggested that BA supplementation had positive ergogenic effects. Exercise duration had a significant impact on the effect size of BA supplementation, with effects estimated to be greatest between 30 seconds to 10 minutes.CONCLUSIONS: BA supplementation had a positive effect on exercise performance in all systematic reviews/meta-analyses. It is effective for sports activities primarily in middle-distance events.