Why I Use Beta Alanine to Boost Endurance and Power

If you've ever pushed through a tough set or an all-out sprint and felt that familiar burning in your muscles, you’ve experienced the effects of lactic acid. That burn is your body’s way of saying it's hitting its limit. Over the years, I’ve tried just about everything to extend that limit—and beta alanine is one of the few supplements that actually works.

That’s why I made it a core part of Endurablend, our endurance support formula at Brother Barbell Supplements. Let me break down how beta alanine works and why I consider it essential for anyone who trains hard.

What Beta Alanine Actually Does

Beta alanine is a naturally occurring amino acid that helps your body produce carnosine, a compound stored in your muscle cells. During intense exercise, your body accumulates hydrogen ions (H⁺) as a byproduct of lactic acid. These ions lower your muscle pH, which leads to that burning sensation and ultimately causes fatigue.

Carnosine acts as a buffer—it helps neutralize those hydrogen ions and slow the drop in pH. The more carnosine you have in your muscles, the longer you can push before fatigue sets in. Beta alanine is the rate-limiting amino acid in carnosine synthesis, meaning without it, your body can’t make enough carnosine to keep up.

So when you supplement with beta alanine, you’re giving your muscles the ammo they need to fight off fatigue and keep going strong.

What That Means for Your Training

For me, the difference with beta alanine was night and day. I noticed I could grind through that last rep, hold my pace longer in a run, and delay muscle failure during high-intensity sets. And it’s not just anecdotal—study after study shows beta alanine improves performance in efforts lasting 1 to 4 minutes, which is right in the sweet spot for strength athletes, CrossFitters, sprinters, and endurance athletes alike.

You won’t feel the effects instantly. Beta alanine works by building up carnosine levels over time. But after 2 to 4 weeks of consistent use, most people start seeing measurable improvements in how long they can maintain intensity before reaching failure.

What About the “Tingling”?

One thing I like to mention up front is the tingling or flushing some people feel after taking beta alanine—called paresthesia. It’s harmless and temporary, but it’s a sign the beta alanine is active. Some people even like it because it makes them feel “lit up” before a workout. If you’re sensitive, you can split your dose throughout the day to reduce it.

Final Thoughts

I included beta alanine in Endurablend because I’ve seen firsthand how much of a difference it makes in real-world training. It helps buffer lactic acid, delay fatigue, and keep you in the fight longer—whether you’re running hill sprints, grinding through supersets, or chasing a PR.

At Brother Barbell Supplements, I don’t throw ingredients into formulas unless they earn their spot. Beta alanine earns it. Every time.