· By Joseph Welstead
HIIT Beta Alanine: What is it? Who is it for?
Beta Alanine is perhaps one of the lesser-known sports supplements. It is, nonetheless, proven to enhance physical performance. Specifically, Beta Alanine is beneficial to anyone wanting to improve their High Intensity Intermittent Training (HIIT).
Actually, what is HIIT?
Consider high intensity interval activities. These may seem like big scary words reserved for elite athletes, but think of what type of workouts you do:- Do you lift weights? If so, you are probably working extremely hard for a short period of time, then resting, then starting again. This is HIIT.
- Do you cycle through town to get to work? You’ll be stopping and going at every traffic light and, let’s be honest, nobody likes being slowest at the lights.
- Do you play football? Basketball? Do you do rock climbing? Crossfit? Calisthenics? OK, you get the picture.
Beta Alanine acts like a lactic acid buffer
Beta Alanine is a naturally-occurring amino acid. Once ingested, it helps form carnosine inside the muscle cell. In fact, supplementation can increase the concentration of muscular carnosine by a whopping 80% over 10 weeks. Carnosine is a powerful antioxidant. It acts as a barrier against the formation of acidity in the muscle. It is this acidity, in the form of the ion H+ (AKA lactate, informally called “lactic acid”) which, to put in bluntly, F-ing hurts during any HIIT type training. So: Beta Alanine = more carnosine = less soreness = improved performance.High Intensity Training Beta Alanine
Beta Alanine is enhanced with B vitamins, known to help fight fatigue and reduce tiredness. With added Yerba Mate for extra energy, these capsules become the perfect ally for HIIT training. We particularly recommend them pre-workout. To obtain the maximum benefits with the highest increase in muscle carnosine, we advise 4-6 capsules per day over a period of 8-10 weeks.