The effect of beta-alanine supplementation on neuromuscular fatigue in elderly (55–92 Years): a double-blind randomized study

Using a double-blind placebo controlled design, twenty-six men (n = 9) and women (n = 17) (age ± SD = 72.8 ± 11.1 yrs) were randomly assigned to either beta-alanine (BA: 800 mg × 3 per day; n = 12; CarnoSyn？) or Placebo (PL; n = 14) group. Before (pre) and after (post) the supplementation period, participants performed a discontinuous cycle ergometry test to determine the PWCFT.Significant increases in PWCFT (28.6%) from pre- to post-supplementation were found for the BA treatment group (p < 0.05), but no change was observed with PL treatment. These findings suggest that ninety days of BA supplementation may increase physical working capacity by delaying the onset of neuromuscular fatigue in elderly men and women.We suggest that BA supplementation, by improving intracellular pH control, improves muscle endurance in the elderly. This, we believe, could have importance in the prevention of falls, and the maintenance of health and independent living in elderly men and women.Carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine), a dipeptide is an efficient hydrogen ion (H+) buffer over the physiological pH range [1,2]. In muscle, where its concentration is highest, carnosine makes an important contribution to the maintenance of intracellular pH, which is vital for normal muscle function during intense exercise [1]. While the dipeptide is found in both Type I and Type II muscle, its concentration is highest in Type II muscle. Studies in humans and rats have demonstrated an inverse relationship between age and muscle carnosine content [3,4]. Sarcopenia, the loss in muscle mass with age, is associated with significant reductions in strength, power, and the ability to resist fatigue in elderly men and women [5,6]. Significant decreases in skeletal muscle and decline in muscle function are clearly evident after the age of fifty [5,7]. Deterioration of motor coordination, as a result of losses in strength and/or fatigue, is related to an increase in the frequency of falls [6,8] which repeatedl