AUTHOR=Black Matthew I. , Jones Andrew M. , Morgan Paul T. , Bailey Stephen J. , Fulford Jonathan , Vanhatalo Anni 

TITLE=The Effects of β-Alanine Supplementation on Muscle pH and the Power-Duration Relationship during High-Intensity Exercise

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.00111

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2018.00111

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Purpose:</bold> To investigate the influence of β-alanine (BA) supplementation on muscle carnosine content, muscle pH and the power-duration relationship (i.e., critical power and W′).</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 20 recreationally-active males (22 ± 3 y, V°O<sub>2peak</sub> 3.73 ± 0.44 L·min<sup>−1</sup>) ingested either BA (6.4 g/d for 28 d) or placebo (PL) (6.4 g/d) for 28 d. Subjects completed an incremental test and two 3-min all-out tests separated by 1-min on a cycle ergometer pre- and post-supplementation. Muscle pH was assessed using <sup>31</sup>P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) during incremental (INC KEE) and intermittent knee-extension exercise (INT KEE). Muscle carnosine content was determined using <sup>1</sup>H-MRS.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> There were no differences in the change in muscle carnosine content from pre- to post-intervention (PL: 1 ± 16% vs. BA: −4 ± 25%) or in muscle pH during INC KEE or INT KEE (<italic>P</italic> &gt; 0.05) between PL and BA, but blood pH (PL: −0.06 ± 0.10 vs. BA: 0.09 ± 0.13) during the incremental test was elevated post-supplementation in the BA group only (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). The changes from pre- to post-supplementation in critical power (PL: −8 ± 18 W vs. BA: −6 ± 17 W) and W′ (PL: 1.8 ± 3.3 kJ vs. BA: 1.5 ± 1.7 kJ) were not different between groups. No relationships were detected between muscle carnosine content and indices of exercise performance.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> BA supplementation had no significant effect on muscle carnosine content and no influence on intramuscular pH during incremental or high-intensity intermittent knee-extension exercise. The small increase in blood pH following BA supplementation was not sufficient to significantly alter the power-duration relationship or exercise performance.</p>