Improving physical activity tolerance in sedentary overweight women under beta-alanine supplementation

Abstract

Summary Objectives Today, obesity and inactivity are important health problems in the world and the effective treatments are needed. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of beta-alanine supplementation on time to exhaustion and one repetition maximum (1RM) in overweight sedentary women. Equipment and methods Forty 20–45-year old overweight female were recruited to the study. The participants were randomized to a beta-alanine supplement (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20) group. Body composition was measured by Body Impedance Analyzer. Time to exhaustion was evaluated on the treadmill using the ramp protocol. 1RM was measured for upper and lower extremities by body solid leg press and chest press machines. Results Thirty-four participants were analyzed at the end of the study. Change in the time to exhaustion was significant in the intervention group, after 6 weeks (P Conclusions Based on the results of the present study, six weeks of supplementation of beta-alanine in overweight women increased the time to exhaustion compared to the control group. Such results suggest that natural ergometric agents such as beta-alanine may be helpful for improving the adherence of obese patients to exercise protocols, and that this deserves further investigation.