β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Saunders et al., 2017 | Br J Sports Med | Meta Analysis

Citation

Saunders Bryan, Elliott-Sale Kirsty, ... Gualano Bruno. β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2017-Apr;51(8):658-669. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096396

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on the effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise capacity and performance. DESIGN: This study was designed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. A 3-level mixed effects model was employed to model effect sizes and account for dependencies within data. DATA SOURCES: 3 databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science) were searched using a number of terms ('β-alanine' and 'Beta-alanine' combined with 'supplementation', 'exercise', 'training', 'athlete', 'performance' and 'carnosine'). ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Inclusion/exclusion criteria limited articles to double-blinded, placebo-controlled studies investigating the effects of β-alanine supplementation on an exercise measure. All healthy participant populations were considered, while supplementation protocols were restricted to chronic ingestion. Cross-over designs were excluded due to the long washout period for skeletal muscle carnosine following supplementation. A single outcome measure was extracted for each exercise protocol and converted to effect sizes for meta-analyses. RESULTS: 40 individual studies employing 65 different exercise protocols and totalling 70 exercise measures in 1461 participants were included in the analyses. A significant overall effect size of 0.18 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.28) was shown. Meta-regression demonstrated that exercise duration significantly (p=0.004) moderated effect sizes. Subgroup analyses also identified the type of exercise as a significant (p=0.013) moderator of effect sizes within an exercise time frame of 0.5-10 min with greater effect sizes for exercise capacity (0.4998 (95% CI 0.246 to 0.753)) versus performance (0.1078 (95% CI -0.201 to 0.416)). There was no moderating effect of training status (p=0.559), intermittent or continuous exercise (p=0.436) or total amount of β-alanine ingested (p=0.438). Co-supplementation with sodium bicarbonate resulted in the largest effect size when compared with placebo (0.43 (95% CI 0.22 to 0.64)). SUMMARY/CONCLUSIONS: β-alanine had a significant overall effect while subgroup analyses revealed a number of modifying factors. These data allow individuals to make informed decisions as to the likelihood of an ergogenic effect with β-alanine supplementation based on their chosen exercise modality.

Key Findings

40 individual studies employing 65 different exercise protocols and totalling 70 exercise measures in 1461 participants were included in the analyses. A significant overall effect size of 0.18 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.28) was shown. Meta-regression demonstrated that exercise duration significantly (p=0.004) moderated effect sizes. Subgroup analyses also identified the type of exercise as a significant (p=0.013) moderator of effect sizes within an exercise time frame of 0.5-10 min with greater effect si

Outcomes Measured

• Requires manual extraction

Population

MeSH Terms

• Athletic Performance
• Carnosine
• Dietary Supplements
• Exercise
• Humans
• Muscle, Skeletal
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
• beta-Alanine

Evidence Classification

• Level: Meta Analysis
• Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
• Vertical: beta-alanine-performance

Provenance

• PMID: 27797728
• DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096396
• PMCID: Not in PMC
• Verified: 2026-04-09 via PubMed E-utilities API

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09