Affiliations: [a] Exercise and Sports Science Program, The University of
Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA | [b] Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The
University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA | [c] Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University
of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: John F. Caruso, 800 S. Tucker Drive/312
Chapman Hall, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA. Tel.: +1 918 631
2924; Fax: +1 918 631 2068; E-mail: john-caruso@utulsa.edu
Abstract: BACKGROUND: ß-Alanine aids exercise performance by
increasing intracellular carnosine content. Added carnosine should buffer more
H^{ +} produced from exercise and evoke a higher blood lactate concentration
([BLa^{ - }]) before a person succumbs to fatigue. OBJECTIVE: With a within-subjects design, we compared the effects of placebo (maltodextrin) and
ß-alanine administrations on [BLa^{-}] and average power (AP) values
derived from repetitive bouts of lower body supramaximal activity. METHODS: Over separate 30-day periods, sedentary subjects (n=10)
ingested placebo, followed by ß-alanine (3 g ˙ day^{-1}), capsules.
After each period, subjects performed two four-set leg press workouts.
[BLa^{-}] values were measured before, and zero-, five-, ten, 15- and
20-minutes post-exercise. [BLa^{-}] data underwent a 2 × 6 ANOVA, with
repeated measures per independent variable. AP values were compared with a 2
× 4 ANCOVA, with repeated measures per independent variable. RESULTS: AP and [BLa^{-}] results each included a two-way
interaction. ß-alanine elicited higher set two and four AP values versus
the corresponding placebo values. [BLa^{-}] values at zero-minutes
post-exercise were significantly higher from ß-alanine, versus the placebo,
treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Greater AP and [BLa^{ - }] values from
ß-alanine suggest exercise likely was able to proceed to a greater extent
without increasing intracellular acidosis due to a heightened buffer capacity.
Keywords: Blood lactate, average power, acidosis, ergogenic aid
