To date we have data showing that Beta-alanine when given for up to 12 weeks does not cause and measured change in those clinical blood markers widely used to show safety. However, 12 weeks is relatively short duration, so what could be a danger from long term use?

Well there are a few studies that may provide some insight!

What dangers: Is a history of use enough?

One thing I often heard is ‘x nutrient has been consumed for years in our general diet and at a dose found in dietary supplements‘, as such it must be safe. However, this generalization is ultimately flawed as sodium and saturated fats are also abundant in our diets and we know the consequences in relation to cardiovascular disease when taken in excess. The take home is natural is not always synonymous with healthy.

Similarly, beta-alanine is abundant in meat sources and especially those animals (meat source) exposed to prolonged periods of hypoxia (sprinters or diving mammals).Taking the premise that we could get beta-alanine from food in a quantity to match the commonly recommended supplement dose (3.2g/d) would mean we  need to consumer 400g of whale beef or 600g of turkey. Is that really likely? If it is not, have our bodies really adapted to getting an isolated nutrient such as beta-alanine in that type of quantity?

So what could be the dangers of consuming high does beta-alanine?

Well studies by Allo et al, Harada et al. and Dawson et al, all show that beta-alanine supplementation can deplete cardiac taurine levels. Taurine is very much linked to efficient contractile function (via calcium ion homeostasis) of both skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle and significant depletion could impair heart function.

The problem with these studies is that they use a dose around 25x that used in human studies and over short period of time (circa 5 days). However, although 25x higher in dose, human studies provide a supplementation period which is about 17x longer. As such over a 9 month period we would maybe take in as much beta-alanine as in the rodent trials. What would be the effect of this on humans and health?

At present we don’t know! We do know that in short term (<12 weeks ) although we see increased plasma taurine levels (suggestive of inhibition of taurine uptake) there is no effect on skeletal muscle taurine levels or in the urine (Harris et al. 2006).

The problem here is the heart’s taurine content is relatively low in relation to the total skeletal muscle pool. As such if you where loosing taurine from the heart during high dose beta-alanine supplementation it would likely not be detectable (plasma an urinary taurine levels are highly variable, which would mask small but significant losses of taurine).

Cycle your Beta-alanine!

The answer in overcoming any potential issues with taurine depletion is 2 fold and can be related to some recent work. In a  trial from Belgium (Baguet et al. 2009) researches have shown for the first time that following 6 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation the resulting increase in muscle carnosine  (~30%) reverts to baseline levels within 3 week following cessation of supplementation. This shows us that we can de-load and load relatively quickly with beta-alanine supplements. During the de-loading period we could then supplement with taurine which in many animal studies has been shown to effectively increase muscle taurine concentrations. This would help replace any lost muscle/cardiac taurine, which may have occurred during beta-alanine supplementation. Unfortunately, in humans the research (Galloway et al. 2008) demonstrates that taurine supplementation is not effective in increasing muscle taurine (<2g).

Given meat contains both beta-alanine and taurine is a safe guess that we can take both nutrients at the same time so potentially taurine when given in a slow release (meat) form will increase muscle taurine levels (we don’t know for sure). Alternatively, higher doses of taurine (>1.5-2g/d) maybe required. My advice 3g/d for 1-4 weeks should do the trick (not evidence but based of my own biopsy data when a PhD student when this type of does seemed to tripled my muscle taurine stores).

On a final note…

Beta-alanine ethyl ester!

As always everyone is looking for the next best thing and like creatine beta-alanine is well absorbed into the muscle, however we are already seeing the appearance of beta-alanine ethyl ester. A word of caution…

In 2001 a rodent study (Keria et al) demonstrated that when beta-alanine and especially alcohol (ethyl ester) co-administered with beta-alanine, significantly increased homocysteine and cysteine excretion into urine throughout the 28-day period of ethanol administration. The study pointed to hepatic dysfunction, not a great health effect.

So until we know more about these new forms of beta-alanine lets get our heads round the long term use issues of beta-alanine….

Until next time!

Is BETA-ALANINE Safe? is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

There is an up-coming paper proving CEE is no where near as effective as Creatine Monohydrate and changing muscle concentrations, and why? Well surprise, surprise its unstable and breaks down to creatinine (just as I had said in our so called non-physiological studies in 07). Now it seems one of the worlds largest sport nutrition companies has been found liable for selling a fake form of CEE.

In a significant blow to sports supplement maker BSN, a federal district court in California has certified a class action against the company. In the lawsuit, the company is charged with fraud for selling products that falsely claim to contain a “new and improved” form of creatine called CEM3 or “Creatine Ethyl Ester Malate.”

The charge against BSN is significant. According to the decision, experts for the plaintiff, Michael Rivera, “the claim that CEM3 does not exist and is impossible to manufacture“. Moreover, BSN failed in their attempts to prove these experts were wrong in there conclusions about CEM3.

The court’s comments regarding the evidence of fraud do not look good for supplement leader BSN and are as follows:

Rivera has provided sufficient circumstantial evidence at this point for the Court to find that the trier of fact might reasonably infer that the plaintiffs relied on false representations. In addition to the labels, advertising campaign, and declarations, Rivera has put forth evidence that the year after BSN starting advertising CEM3 in its products, sales of Cellmass increased 1,578%, sales of Nitrix increased 512%, and sales of N.O.-Xplode increased 177%. The trier of fact might reasonably infer that the sales increase was due to BSN’s representations regarding CEM3.

In addition, the court finds that a jury could conclude that a reasonable person presented with a label listing CEM3 and/or advertisements regarding the superiority of CEM3 would have relied on those representations. Therefore, if the trier of fact finds that such representations were in fact made to the plaintiffs, an inference of justifiable reliance by each class member would arise.

It will be interesting to see where this case finishes and if BSN will re challenge the courts decision. Based of similar cases this could be a costly case both financially and for BSN’s fan’s.

BSN Guilty- The next CEE scam! is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

Since 2004 much has been written about its copycat products (many not containing real hoodia) and indeed the lack of evidence in human trials to prove that the product even works in humans. In 2007 a trail from a little know South African university seemed to show some proof of efficacy (van Heerden et al. 2007). However, as we run to the end of 2008 still no commercialization of a Hoodia product.

It now seems we have a few answers…

Last week in an anouncement from Phytopharm and Unilever the deal was of as Unilever was pulling out loosing its $25 million investment. Phytopharm state the issue was that P57 broke down (metabolised) too qickly in the slimfast drink. However, speak to unilever and the story is very different.

“Data suggests using the extract would not meet our safety and efficacy standards,” said Unilever global media relations director, Trevor Gorin.

Although Phytopharm are pushing ahead the split does not indicate the brightest of future for the as yet proven extract. The Unilever withdrawl again draws concerns as to weather Hoodia really can deliver on all those marketing products…..

DocT

Hoodia,Is the ride finally over? is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

As many of you know I have been deeply involved in research of carnosine and its functions in skeletal muscle. However, recently I was contacted by a write from the Times newspaper (UK) who were conducting research into the medical nutrition, or Mediceuticals as some are defining it. My current work involves patients with genetic conditions leading them to develop extremely high lactate levels inside muscle tissue and associated acidosis (low pH) (Muscle myopathies and cytopathies). Acidosis is related to the fatigue you feel at the end of very high intensity exercise, or at the end of high rep calf rises. However, in the patients I look at the level of acidosis is at levels found during high intensity exercise when they at rest. In real terms this can mean just lifting a tin of beans up can be a real effort.

Since the 1990’s and pioneering work by Dr Mark Dunnett in the field of carnosine metabolism and beta-alanine supplementation it is clear that we can help maintain lower levels of intracellular acidosis in muscle tissue. The future of beta-alanine may next follow the path of creatine as a Mediceutical offering application in the treatment or symptom relief in brain and muscle diseases. In patents suffering from intracellular acidosis and or low muscle carnosine levels (as in old age) beta-alanine supplementation may be a novel therapeutic.

*Beta-Alanine update: Just as a note of interest in a recent publication in the Journal “Amino Acids” researcher have shown that DHA (An Omega-3 fatty acid) reduced concentrations of carnosine in skeletal muscle in an animal study. Although this is an animal trial it maybe worthy avoiding fish oil products at the same time as supplementing with beta-alanine. I would recommend an early morning beta-alanine does and pre-bed time fish oil if you must take both. Other wise cycle beta-alanine 4 weeks on (no supplemental fish oils) 4 weeks off (back on the fish oils).

Li P, Kim SW, Li X, Datta S, Pond WG, Wu G.Dietary supplementation with cholesterol and docosahexaenoic acid affects concentrations of amino acids in tissues of young pigs. Amino Acids. 2008 Oct 30.

Beta-alanine….A medicine in the waiting! is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness