Beta-alanine for women: are there any peculiarities

Beta-alanine is usually associated with pre-workout complexes for men, yet more and more women are taking up CrossFit, interval training, rowing and team sports — precisely where this supplement can be useful. Our editors found out whether the action of beta-alanine differs in the female body and which nuances are worth taking into account.

Carnosine in female muscles

Beta-alanine acts by raising the content of carnosine — a dipeptide that buffers hydrogen ions in the muscles during intense work. So to understand the possible peculiarities for women, it is worth starting with how much carnosine there is in their muscles to begin with.

As early as the study by Mannion and colleagues in 1992, it was shown that in women the carnosine content in the quadriceps femoris muscle is on average lower than in men. The later work of Everaert and colleagues in 2011 confirmed: female sex, a vegetarian diet and older age are associated with a lower carnosine level.

There are several reasons. Women on average have a smaller proportion of fast type II fibers, which contain more carnosine. Sex hormones may also play a role: in experimental works androgens affected the carnosine level in muscles. In addition, women often consume less meat and fish — the main dietary sources of carnosine and beta-alanine.

Theoretically, a lower baseline level means there is potential for an increase. At the same time there are few direct studies comparing carnosine accumulation in women and men with the same intake, so it cannot be stated unequivocally that women respond better.

What studies in women show

One of the first studies of beta-alanine specifically in women was conducted by Stout and colleagues in 2007. Over several weeks the participants took beta-alanine or placebo, after which they performed an incremental test on a cycle ergometer. In the beta-alanine group, measures of neuromuscular fatigue, the ventilatory threshold and time to exhaustion improved.

In the study by Smith and colleagues in 2012, women combined beta-alanine with high-intensity interval training; the authors examined, in particular, markers of oxidative stress. The results of this and other works generally agree with the data in men, although the magnitude of the effect varies.

The 2015 ISSN position statement and the 2017 meta-analysis by Saunders and colleagues do not single out women as a group in which beta-alanine does not work. At the same time the proportion of women in studies is much smaller, so the precision of estimates for them is lower.

The main conclusion: the mechanism of action is the same, and for loads lasting roughly 1 to 4 minutes — interval training, rowing, swimming of 100–400 m, CrossFit workouts — beta-alanine in women has the same potential benefit as in men.

Tingling and tolerability

The only well-documented side effect of beta-alanine is paresthesia, that is, tingling or burning of the skin, more often on the face, neck and hands. It appears 10–20 minutes after intake and passes in about an hour. The mechanism is related to activation of the MrgprD receptor on sensory nerve endings.

The intensity of the tingling depends on the single dose relative to body weight. Women on average have a lower body mass, so the same portion, for example 3 g in the measuring scoop of a pre-workout complex, is relatively larger for them. This may explain why some women tolerate the sensation worse.

A systematic risk analysis conducted by Dolan and colleagues in 2019 found no other persistent side effects of beta-alanine besides paresthesia, in studies lasting up to several months. However, the authors stress that long-term data beyond this period are insufficient.

• divide the daily amount into several small doses throughout the day;
• choose sustained-release (SR) tablets;
• take it together with food;
• do not treat the tingling as a “sign of efficacy.”

Pregnancy, menopause, hormones

There are no studies of beta-alanine during pregnancy and breastfeeding. This does not mean the substance is necessarily harmful, but there are also no grounds to consider it safe during this period. Our editors recommend refraining from use and discussing any supplements with a doctor.

As for the influence of the menstrual cycle phase on the effect of beta-alanine, there are practically no data. Since the supplement acts through gradual accumulation of carnosine over weeks rather than through an acute effect, fluctuations within a single cycle are unlikely to substantially change the result, although well-being and performance in different phases may differ regardless of supplements.

After menopause, with the age-related decline in the proportion of fast fibers and the carnosine level, the question takes on new significance. A separate editorial material, “Beta-alanine after 40,” is devoted to this topic.

Beta-alanine is not a hormone and does not affect the level of estrogens or androgens in studies, so fears of “masculinization” have no basis. Such fears arise because beta-alanine is often part of complexes together with other ingredients, which should be checked separately.

Practice of use and myths

In studies, 3.2–6.4 g of beta-alanine per day were most often used, divided into doses of roughly 0.8–1.6 g. The ISSN position statement recommends daily intake for at least 2–4 weeks for an appreciable rise in carnosine. The study by Stegen and colleagues in 2013 showed that taking it together with food promotes better carnosine accumulation.

For women with a low body mass it is logical to start with the lower end of the range and smaller single portions — this helps to avoid pronounced tingling without losing the effect, since the decisive factor is the total amount of beta-alanine over weeks of intake.

Beta-alanine can be combined with creatine: they act through different mechanisms, and the ISSN position statement notes that the combination may be useful for high-intensity work. For strength training with short sets of up to 1 minute, the effect of beta-alanine is small, so priority there goes to creatine.

Editorial conclusions

In women the baseline carnosine level in muscles is on average lower, but beta-alanine acts by the same mechanism and in studies improves measures of high-intensity work.

The main practical difference is tolerability: with a lower body mass a standard portion is relatively larger, so it is worth dividing the dose into smaller parts and taking it with food.

During pregnancy and lactation there are no data, so it is better to refrain from the supplement.

We also recommend reading “The history of Beta-alanine: how the supplement became popular,” “Beta-alanine after 40” and “Creatine monohydrate for women: are there any peculiarities.”

References

1. Mannion AF, Jakeman PM, Dunnett M, et al. Carnosine and anserine concentrations in the quadriceps femoris muscle of healthy humans. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1992;64(1):47–50.
2. Everaert I, Mooyaart A, Baguet A, et al. Vegetarianism, female gender and increasing age, but not CNDP1 genotype, are associated with reduced muscle carnosine levels in humans. Amino Acids. 2011;40(4):1221–1229.
3. Stout JR, Cramer JT, Zoeller RF, et al. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on the onset of neuromuscular fatigue and ventilatory threshold in women. Amino Acids. 2007;32(3):381–386.
4. Smith AE, Stout JR, Kendall KL, et al. Exercise-induced oxidative stress: the effects of β-alanine supplementation in women. Amino Acids. 2012;43(1):77–90.
5. Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Stout JR, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12:30.
6. Stegen S, Blancquaert L, Everaert I, et al. Meal and beta-alanine coingestion enhances muscle carnosine loading. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013;45(8):1478–1485.
7. Dolan E, Swinton PA, Painelli VS, et al. A systematic risk assessment and meta-analysis on the use of oral β-alanine supplementation. Adv Nutr. 2019;10(3):452–463.
8. Saunders B, Elliott-Sale K, Artioli GG, et al. β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(8):658–669.