The Effect Of Beta Alanine Supplementation On Multiple Bench Press Performance In Judoists

Abstract

During intense exercise, when lactate production is high, the ability of skeletal muscle to buffer H+is important for pH regulation and changes in acid-base status have been proposed as a potential mechanism for improved performance. Beta alanine has been recently postulated as an ergogenic aid that could increase the muscle carnosine and then the muscle buffering capacity. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether resistance exercise performance, lactate production and buffer capacity were altered in judoists when consuming beta alanine during 4 weeks. METHODS: Eighteen well trained judoists [mean (SD)] aged 24.7 (8.7) years, volunteered to participate in this 4 weeks, double-blind, placebo-controlled study and were randomly assigned to placebo (PLA; 5 g per day of dextrose; n=9), or beta alanine (BA; 5.4 g per day of beta alanine; n=9) The supplement was ingested 2 times per day for 4 weeks. Before and after the supplementation, subjects performed a bench press protocol (2 sets to failure at 50% of 1 repetition maximum, with 2 min rest interval). Subjects performed the test at a given frequency that was fixed by a metronome. Blood samples were taken to assess changes in acid-base balance. Blood lactate was analyzed after 1, 3 and 5 minutes after the test. RESULTS: Mean number of repetitions in the bench press test was 47.3 (4.7) and 44.1 (8.4) at baseline and 46.2 (4.5) and 44.7 (9.1) following the supplementation of placebo or beta alanine, respectively. Maximum blood lactate concentrations showed no differences in either group before and after supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: Beta alanine supplementation did not increase any of the outcome measurements, number of repetitions and/or lactate production. Thus, beta alanine supplementation at 5.4 g daily seems not to have any effects on muscle buffering capacity neither on performance during bench press test in judoists.