68 | AustrAliAn triAthleteBeta-alanine, sodium Bicarbonate and Creatine
text by dr sImon sostarIc | photogrAphy by shutterstocK.comF
ollowing on from last month’s
edition examining the ergogenic
benefits of caffeine and nitrate,
in this edition, the efficacy and
performance perspectives of popular
supplements beta-alanine, sodium
bicarbonate and creatine will be discussed.
In keeping with Part 1 of this series, the
three supplements highlighted here have
previously been demonstrated to exhibit
evidence-based performance benefits
across a range of exercise durations and
intensities. The question is - how reliable
and practical are these supplement
performance gains to triathletes in
competition, and for training adaptations?beTA-ALANINe
Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino
acid produced by the body, which
amongst other things plays a role in
regulating acid-base changes in exercising
muscle. When consumed as a supplement
at 3.2-6.4g per day over 2-4 weeks, muscle
carnosine content increases by up to 65%,
and contributes to improvements in
tolerance to short bouts of maximal
exercise (30seconds-10minutes; Saunders
et. al 2016). While small performance
gains in controlled lab-based studies have
been observed, the practical application to
endurance sports performance in the field
is currently equivocal. Like most sportsperformance supplements, the ergogenic
benefits of beta-alanine appear to diminish
in highly trained (i.e. subsequently
superiorly adapted) elite athletes
compared to lesser-trained athletes.Considerations for triathletes:
Beta-alanine can be taken as a single daily
bolus dose. However, many athletes
usually split the pre-prescribed dose over
the day, primarily to lessen the magnitude
of the most common side effects,
including skin rashes, itchiness and
sensations of “pins and needles”. There is
intra-individual variability in the synthesis
rate of beta-alanine, therefore dosageSUPPLEMENTS UNDER
THE MICROSCOPE
(Part 2)